The TiredOut Subject of Bulma and Vegeta: a Fanfic
by General Fluffer McKitty
Summary: Our first fic... so everyone is a tad OOC and the writing isn't up to par, but I think it's good for a fist shot. :) And don't mind that Part 4 is there twice. I can't get rid of it. :(
1. Part 1

The last battle had been hell itself. Even Vegeta had to admit that as he flew back with the others, a scrap of metal clutched in one hand. When he landed, he threw the worthless chip in the dust and leaned against one leg of the spaceship, thinking, 'I can't believe I'm actually WORKING with them.' He was disgusted with himself, though it WAS his only choice, next to staying on Namek the rest of his life. "Where ARE they anyway?" he muttered as they went into the cave.  
  
As if on cue, the two backed out of the cave. Actually, Krillin RAN out of the cave and hid behind Goku. As loud as the following racket was, Vegeta couldn't make out a thing, but he WAS interested in seeing what could scare Kakorrot so badly.  
  
There was a woman with shoulder-length blue hair and the expression of a monster on her face stomping after them. Now that the echoing stopped, he could hear her like she was next to him yelling in his ear.  
  
"You said you would be RIGHT BACK Krillin! I've been waiting almost a month for you! I am SICK of this place I want to take a shower, I want to go home, and I think Yamcha gave up on me! But instead of being here so we can get off this planet, you go look for the dragonballs. And then never come back!" While Goku had been slowly trying to sneak away, she grabbed him by the ear. "And you! About time you got here! Do you know what they've done to me?! They left me alone, in a cave. ME! In a CAVE! I've been chased by dinosaurs, I had to live in a cave, and the only thing this stupid TV picks up is an bad rip-off alien version of the Brady Bunch. I've HAD it!" She stopped briefly to catch her breath and caught sight of someone standing against her ship. "And you! I don't even KNOW you and you're getting on my nerves!" She adjusted to see him better, and then noticed it was Vegeta. Her anger overrode her fear and she continued to yell at him. "Wait! I do know you! This is all your fault. If you hadn't shown up on Earth as a REALLY bad salesman, then we wouldn't even have to BE on this insane mission! What are you doing here anyway?"  
  
Vegeta straightened, an even deeper scowl appearing on his face. "You dare to talk like that to a Saiyan prince!" he demanded. By then Goku and Krillin had recovered enough to try and tame the wild beast. Goku was edging in between them, but Krillin jumped in front of Bulma before she could do anything drastic.  
  
Goku faced Vegeta and grimaced, jerking his head in Bulma's direction. "Why don't you get out of here? Where's your ship?"  
  
Vegeta spit on the little piece of metal he'd been carrying before. "You make that fly and I'll go."  
  
Goku looked it over. "I think this is beyond Bulma's skills. She's a mechanic, not a miracle worker."  
  
Meanwhile, Krillin tapped Bulma on the shoulder. He winced a little before he said anything and suggested, "Um...Bulma? I DO want to get home, so maybe you couldn't yell at him anymore?"  
  
She sucked in a breath, and Krillin's hands flew to his ears. "First of all, I don't care WHO he is! To me he's the bacteria at the bottom of a pile of dino shit! And second, I'm the only one that can fly this goddamn thing, so if he wants to go ANYwhere, I suggest he learns how to treat a lady!" She glared over the top of Krillin's shiny head.  
  
Vegeta sneered at him, but both Krillin and Goku felt his power drop drastically. "Hey, Bulma," he called over his shoulder. "Are you done yet?"  
  
"No. I haven't even STARTED on Gohan. Hey," she said suddenly. "Where IS Gohan?"  
  
Krillin felt a surge of deja vu as he backed away and hid behind Goku, while Goku rocked uneasily on his feet, suddenly interested in the debris littering the ground, muttering, "Well, uh...you see..."  
  
Vegeta rolled his eyes. "That mophead? The boy is dead." Glaring at the other fighters, he asked simply, "Now, was that so hard?"  
  
Bulma was momentarily struck speechless. Then, completely white, put her hands on her hips. Ignoring, or maybe not even hearing Goku's groan, she put her hands on her hips. "There's someone you have to tell about that Goku."  
  
Goku took a step back, a look of absolute terror on his face. "No, Bulma! Please! No! Uh-uh! No way!"  
  
Bulma nodded and pushed Krillin over to him. "Go tell Chi Chi. Krillin, you make sure he does it."  
  
"But-but-but-" Goku protested as his best friend pushed him toward the door of the ship.  
  
Krillin nudged him forward with his thumb. "Hurry up."  
  
While Bulma watched, Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "Who's he so afraid of?"  
  
"The worst monster in his state of mind." Vegeta gave her a blank look. "I'm only runner-up. The worst enemy he has is terrible. His wife."  
  
"Kakorrot is afraid of a woman? Why?" Vegeta couldn't help but sneer at the prospect. Even such a low-class Saiyan should still have SOME pride.  
  
"Women. Plural. Two," Bulma said, holding up two fingers to emphasize her point. "Besides, you'll find out why when you meet her." She looked at him, who was only regarding her with a bored expression. "Go and make yourself useful. Go...torment the guys or something. Just get out of my way."  
  
Vegeta shrugged and wandered away to stand under the door of the ship, still looking bored, but Bulma could see his eyes light up at her suggestion.  
  
She shook her head. "He's just like Goku. He only listens when it's going to benefit him." She took her flashlight and headed into the cave. "O, well. All he needs to do is be trained. Maybe dog biscuits will work..." she muttered as she went about the job of cleaning her junk out of the capsule house, which was still in the cave.  
  
Meanwhile, Vegeta stood stupidly on the ground, wondering how to open the door. Finally he flew up to the hatch and tried to pry it open with his fingers. Bulma came out with a pile of clothes and various other things she had stuffed under her bed, so she couldn't see him. That much at least saved the arrogant prince from some embarrassment.  
  
"Piccolo," Bulma ordered, her arms starting to tire. The lid came down, and Vegeta with it. He was almost thrown off balance and clutched onto the door to keep from falling.  
  
"Piccolo?" he wondered aloud, not realizing that also SHUT the door. It clamped back together, his fingers crunched between the pieces of metal. He howled in pain and tried to shake his hands, which were still injured from the fight with Frieza, but they wouldn't come loose. He ordered the ship to open up through gritted teeth. This time he swung onto the platform as it descended, nursing his bloodied fingers.  
  
"About time this thing got down here. What were you doing anyway?" Bulma asked as she dropped all but a few things from her load of clothes.  
  
Vegeta mumbled something under his breath, and the words "stupid woman" made their way to her ears. She hit the whatever part of him was closest (which happened to be his fingers) with whatever was caught around her right wrist. He yanked it away, but that was probably the first, and only, time she would hurt him. Looking down, she saw the pipe cleaner had fallen off and was laying at her feet. She shrugged. 'The power of a woman,' she thought almost smugly.  
  
Still savoring her tiny victory over the prince, Bulma dropped the rest of the pile on the floor and looked at Goku. He was still stammering, but not as pale as he should have been had he actually called his wife.  
  
'Well, he's not dead, he's not even on the floor, and he still has color in his cheeks. Do I have to do EVERYTHING myself?' Bulma grabbed Krillin by the back of his gi and pulled him over to her. "I thought I told you to make sure he called!"  
  
Krillin brushed her fingers off his shoulder. "Well, I don't think it would be a very productive conversation when the only thing he can say is 'but.' Don't you agree?" He smirked when she had nothing to say.  
  
"I'm going to get the rest of the stuff out of the capsule house. I'll be back in a few minutes. Then I'll need your help to get that thing down."  
  
Krillin nodded. "Sure thing."  
  
Vegeta looked at them blankly, and Goku stopped muttering to himself. "What house?" Vegeta demanded sharply. He was confused, and he didn't like that feeling, especially after going through it with Frieza.  
  
"You see, we have this house in a capsule. You push the button, throw it, and then you have someplace to live. Everything's there."  
  
"Humans have that kind of technology?" Vegeta was astounded. All along Earthlings had seemed like an inferior race, not worthy of a second glance. But now, with Kakorrot and this woman, he was learning more about Earth than even his home planet.  
  
"No. My family has that kind of technology. My father invented these marvelous little things called Dino Caps. Very useful. Even though they should be, since I came up with the idea," Bulma said, using the same voice she would if he were talking to a 5-year-old.  
  
Goku started muttering, and the only thing any of them heard was "magic witch bombs." Even Krillin had to sigh at that one.  
  
Bulma rolled her eyes. "Well, he can say something other than 'but' at least. Goku? Come here." She took him gently by the shoulders and pushed him into a chair. "Sit." She turned to the others. "I'm getting the rest of the stuff out of the house, and if he hasn't called by the time I get back, I'll kill you all."  
  
Vegeta's eyes followed her until the door came back up. "How can you stand that woman?"  
  
"It isn't easy," Krillin admitted. "Goku and me had to take a five-year college course on dealing with difficult women. And Bulma's only a beginner's subject compared to his wife. Huh, Goku?"  
  
Goku, who now was recovered enough to sit up, smiled. "Yeah. Chi Chi's a master's degree." With that, he stood up and stumbled over to the viewscreen. Punching a button, he sat back and waited for someone at his house to answer the constant buzzing.  
  
Moments later, the Ox King's face appeared on the screen. "Why, hello Goku."  
  
Goku greeted his father-in-law. "Is Chi Chi there? Because if she isn't I can call back later," he finished quickly, holding his breath.  
  
"O, that's okay. I'll get her."  
  
"Great," Goku said sarcastically under his breath. He perked up when his wife came on. "Hi Chi Chi," he said, almost cheerfully.  
  
"Hi Goku. How are you. Where's Gohan?"  
  
He hid a grimace. "We're both fine. And he's..." Goku answered with a flash of inspiration. "He's out training with King Kai."  
  
Chi Chi looked like she could accept that. Then Goku blew it. No one had noticed how tense he'd been standing until he relaxed. Then EVERYONE noticed. "Goku, I have the feeling you're not telling me something." Her voice was full of warning.  
  
"Well, um, we...have to...use the dragonballs...to...get him back," Goku said slowly, wincing before he even finished. Before she could blow up at him he said, "It's not an easy road back from King Kai's. It's dangerous."  
  
The speech in Chi Chi's head vanished. The thought of her baby boy traveling a dangerous road was enough to convince her to use the dragonballs. Little did she know that to see him again she HAD to use them.  
  
"Where is this King Kai?" she asked, still a little suspicious. Her husband was known for not giving a straight answer.  
  
"At the end of Snake Way," Goku said with perfect honesty.  
  
Vegeta could see Goku trying to hide fear on his face, but, like any Saiyan, he could be read like a book. Even Vegeta was easy to figure out once one knew what to look for. But his curiosity was sparked when the strongest fighter he knew was cowering in front of women. This wife of his seemed strong. He leaned over so he see past Goku's shoulder at the face on the screen.  
  
"Goku." Chi Chi said. Even though Goku couldn't see all of her, he was sure her foot was tapping. "This is actually a very easy process. I ask you a question, and you give me an answer that doesn't involve beating around the bush. Now. Where is Gohan?!"  
  
"Well...um...you see..." Goku was trying not to cower in front of his wife, or even an image of her, and failing miserably. Luckily, he was saved by yet another one of Bulma's rampages.  
  
"O, what is that smell?" Bulma demanded once she dropped her latest load on the rather large pile of junk compiling at her feet. She walked by Krillin and pinched her nose. "It's you! All of you!" She grabbed Krillin by the back of his shirt collar and pulled him over to the door, plunking him down on it.  
  
By now Chi Chi was almost forgotten. Goku turned around to see what he'd done now. Bulma yanked Vegeta away from the screen and pulled Goku over to his best friend by his hair. "You will go down there and you will bathe." She turned around to see there was someone on the other end of the highly advanced telephone.  
  
Chi Chi was staring at her friend in amazement. "Where are they going?"  
  
"To get a bath." Bulma noticed her father in the background, stirring his coffee slowly with a bored look on his face. "Hey Daddy," she said, blowing him a kiss. He looked up and greeted his only daughter with a bright smile.  
  
"HI, Bulma. How are you?" He sounded tired, but that wasn't unusual for him.  
  
"Great. You wouldn't BELIEVE some of this technology I've come across. Daddy, an nearly invisible ship." She grinned when he looked up sharply.  
  
"Really? How?" He jumped to the viewscreen, almost knocking Chi Chi over in the process.  
  
Chi Chi rolled her eyes. It was less than a minute and they'd already started talking about gadgets and gizmos. She shook her head and went to get herself some tea. This could take awhile.  
  
Bulma's eyes slid to the door, remembering that she still had the boys waiting. "Um, sorry Daddy. I have to go teach these guys the meaning of the word 'bath.' I'll call you back okay?" She blew him another kiss and disconnected them.  
  
Vegeta was standing in his familiar position, arms crossed and leaning against the wall, when Bulma came up to him. He only looked at her coolly and yawned.  
  
"You too! Get down there." When he didn't even so much as look at her, she narrowed her eyes and tried a different tactic. "Either you go down yourself with some pride, or I TAKE you down, and you'll be down to Goku's status." He looked like he was considering it, but not enough to make him move. Exasperated with him, Bulma mustered up all the courage she could and said, "THEN I'll bathe you myself. Ask Goku. I'll do it!" Vegeta glared at her and jumped out of the ship.  
  
Down below, she could hear Goku and Krillin mimicking her. "O, Daddy," Krillin said in a high-pitched voice. "I just love it here."  
  
"Hey!" She yelled to the two friends. They looked up just in time to be hit in the eye by a well-aimed bar of soap. "If you want to live long enough to see me LEAVE you here, I suggest you shut up."  
  
"Yes, sir! Um, ma'am. Um, yes Bulma!" Goku said, snapping to a sorry example of attention.  
  
Bulma rolled her eyes, but led the way to the water, after figuring out how to keep Goku from holding the platform down.  
  
  
"Does this remind you prison at all?" Krillin muttered as he dropped out of the single-file line to scratch his back on one of the few trees actually on Namek. He itched where his armor had been, but now that anyone that would attack them was gone, they walked freely without it. Even Vegeta was convinced.  
  
"No. Prison is so much better," Goku retorted from the front of the line.  
  
"I'm not even going to ask how you know that."  
  
Goku wisely stepped behind Vegeta before he answered. "Prison is better than anywhere with Bulma or Chi Chi."  
  
Bulma spun around to hit him, only to find Vegeta in his place. She stopped herself in time to avoid hitting the energy ball Vegeta had in his hand to block her. "I swear Goku, one of these days I'm going to find a way to hit you and actually make it hurt! And THEN I'll tell Chi Chi!"  
  
Goku mumbled something under his breath, then grinned sheepishly at Vegeta, the only one that could hear him.  
  
  
When their little parade stopped at the water's edge, Bulma started her orders. "All right. Clothes here, you there." She pointed first to the patch of brown grass at her feet then at the green Namekian ocean. "Think you can handle that or do I have to show you?" At Krillin's raised eyebrow, she commented, "And I'll use you as the example if you say one word." Then she turned around to let the boys undress with some modesty.  
  
A few minutes later, she only heard two sets of splashing feet. Without even bothering to turn around, she said, "Vegeta? Now." When all that replied was silence, she willed back a blush and turned around. Vegeta was waist deep in water, the other two already lathered up. Vegeta scowled and tentatively began to scrub himself down.  
  
When Bulma tried to pick up the clothes, she found the only way she could carry them was to pinch her nose with one hand and hold the pile at arm's length with the other, much to the boys' amusement.  
  
"Think she'll make it in one try?" Krillin asked as Bulma's figure faded.  
  
"Yeah. Don't think she'll want to make two trips with THAT," Goku said with a grin. He scratched at his head. "This is gonna take forever to get the crap out of my hair." Then he glanced at his best friend. "O, sorry Krillin," he said with a little smile.  
  
The monk straightened, trying to make himself taller. "O, shut up! I wasn't offended 'til you said you were sorry. You just like making fun of me." He tried to pout at his serious words, but he couldn't resist smiling back.  
  
"Hey, Vegeta, it won't kill you to talk." He flicked water at the older warrior.  
  
"No," he said sternly, "but I have a score to settle with her, and I would prefer to be dressed before I start another argument."  
  
"So he has a sense of humor. Who knew?" Krillin said to himself. Goku shrugged.  
  
"O, Kakorrot. I meant to ask you something. She told me to ask you about being bathed by her. Why?" Goku's only reply was a blush.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma collapsed into a corner filled with something she didn't look at too closely. Her mad rush to the ship had left her tired. She noticed the smell still lingered. "Oh, man! Not only do I have to put up with these guys, I have to smell like them too!" She put a hand to her head and sat back. "At least I had my own bath installed. I am a genius!" She raced into her room, eager for some warm water. Moments later, she came back out with a washing brush slung over her shoulder. "A genius who can't fix her own plumbing."  
  
**============================================**  
  
"Hey! She's back!" Krillin said as he saw Bulma through the constant sheets of water coming from Goku's direction. "Hey Bulma, hurry up! I'm starting to look like a prune here!"  
  
All of the water Krillin dodged was hitting Vegeta. Even his best statue impression couldn't hide the scowl that appeared. Sick of getting splashed, he blasted the choppy green water at the boys. They immediately sidestepped it, only to reveal Bulma on the other side. She squeezed her eyes closed in defeat and let the wave wash over her. Without a sound she dropped the clothes and walked away.  
  
"You're a dead man," Krillin said matter-of-factly. "Not a word. Man, you're dead." He ruffed through the small heap of what used to be clean clothes. "What? No towels?" he called after her teasingly. She yelled back an obscene remark that included Vegeta. Krillin winced and turned his attention back to the wet and/or sandy fighting gear.  
  
Goku shook the water from his hair and sat in the shallow water near the beach. He dug through until he found Vegeta's stuff. "Well, Vegeta. She's started her revenge. Yours are a bit... damp. or should I say soaked? Maybe saturated is a better word..."  
  
Vegeta grabbed his pants from the smiling Goku and tried to put them on. Even though they were like spandex before, now they were smaller and wet and impossible to get on. "That woman..." Vegeta grunted, ripping off the legs to make shorts. "I swear..."  
  
"Yeah, I know. Isn't she a pain in the ass?" Krillin looked down at himself. "And she gave me Gohan's clothes." He looked sad for a moment, then tried to brighten his expression. "And they're still too big."  
  
Goku smiled and shook his head. "Krillin, I think we should've wished for you to grow up."  
  
Krillin looked indignant. "You're one to talk."  
  
Goku shrugged. "But a seven-year-old's clothes aren't too big on me," he shot back. Krillin had nothing to say to that. "Well, now that we got that out of the way, who feels like finding Bulma?"  
  
"Huh? I thought she went back to the ship." Krillin looked around. "Didn't she?"  
  
"Open your eyes, Cueball. She went that way." Vegeta pointed down the left forked path. "But we came from there." Now he was glaring down the opposite path,  
  
"Great," Krillin drawled. "So, who's the lucky guy?"  
  
"Can't we just leave her here?" Vegeta asked.  
  
"If you can speak Namek," Goku said. Vegeta only looked at him. "Didn't think so. So we need to find her to get off this planet."  
  
Vegeta flew over the path he'd chosen. "If I didn't need that woman," he growled to himself. "I would love to blast her into another dimension." His keen ears picked up the sound of water splashing, and he headed over to investigate.  
  
When he found nothing in the water, he turned his back. Below him, Bulma resurfaced and laid back in the lukewarm water. When she opened her eyes, she screamed and ducked back under. Vegeta made no mistake in hearing her this time and searched for ripples in the shallow water.  
  
Bulma came up a few feet away with rocks in her hands. As she had proved earlier with Goku and Krillin, she actually did have good aim; even Vegeta couldn't dodge some of her throws.  
  
"Woman! What are you doing?" Vegeta shouted after one bounced off his head.  
  
"What did it look like I was doing? I WAS taking a bath!" She shouted up and she went even deeper into the water until only her head was still on the surface.  
  
Called by all the noise, Krillin and Goku arrived in time to see Vegeta's new midair dance. "I should've known." Krillin muttered. "If there's a way to get on her bad side, he'll find it."  
  
"Well, he found it, I've been on it for years, so that leaves you." Goku grinned at him. "Or maybe it's just a Saiyan curse." He rubbed his chin in a mockery of thoughtfulness and turned his attention to Vegeta. "Come on. At least we know she's all right."  
  
"All right! Who would live through her! Of course she's all right!" Vegeta exploded from his position over Bulma's shadow. But he couldn't get away fast enough.  
  
"How do you do it?" Krillin wanted to know as they flew back to the ship. "I mean, you keep doing stuff like that, and you're still alive. What's your secret?" Vegeta only glared at him. "Okay... So, Goku. Now you guys have something else in common. Who else but you two would be stupid enough to walk in on her while she's taking a bath?"  
  
"Shut up!" both Saiyans chorused. Krillin only shrugged and grinned again, shaking his head.  
  
**============================================**  
  
About ten minutes later, a squeaky-clean, sweet-smelling, extremely BAD-TEMPERED Bulma wandered back to the ship. Surprisingly quiet, she walked past Vegeta. Without so much as slowing down, she slapped him upside the head. "That was for sneaking up on me while I was taking a bath!" Then she turned on Goku. "And you let him! What does it take for a lady to get some privacy around here?"  
  
"Some lady," Krillin muttered from under Bulma's bathroom sink. He banged his head on the pipes before crawling out enough to stand. Tucking the wrench in his belt, he came out of her room to stand by Goku and rubbed the back of his head. "I fixed it." He looked down at his water-stained clothes for emphasis.  
  
Bulma sucked in a breath. "Good. Now let's get out of here before something else happens."  
  
"Too late," Vegeta said, staring past her at the gathering black clouds that stretched as far as the eye could see, Bulma groaned and dragged herself to the computer for the ship stats.  
  
"Maybe we could fly through it," Krillin suggested hopefully. A large lightning bolt, clearly outlined in the storm, probably changed his mind.  
  
"Or maybe we could find a bridge to jump off of," Bulma said sarcastically. "It would have the same results. Besides," she said, looking over the nearly undecipherable printouts, "we can't so much as take off let alone fly." She looked over her shoulder lazily, but then her eyes snapped back to the stats. "Abandon ship!" she yelled suddenly. The boys only stared at her blankly.  
  
Rolling her eyes in impatience, she grabbed each Saiyan by the ear and kicked Krillin over to the door. They got out just in time to see a pretty decent fireworks show going on inside the ship. The now pelting rain made quick work of the small fires.  
  
Bulma sunk to her knees. "No. Why me?" she moaned, looking up at the sky. "What did I do to deserve this?"  
  
Goku sat next to her and casually put an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry Bulma. I know you'll be able to fix it. But there's nothing you can do now."  
  
Bulma straightened and nodded. "You're right."  
  
"Yeah. There's still the cave," Krillin chipped in. He smiled a little at her and squatted so they were eye-to-eye. "Come on."  
  
"I've spent the last six months in a cave. What's one more night?" Bulma replied, defeated. Goku helped her up and gave her a hug. She smiled back and sighed, leading the way.  
  
About halfway into the tunnel, Vegeta tripped over what felt like a piece of a boulder. He somehow hit Bulma and sent her sprawling across the floor of the main cave. Goku didn't notice until he also ran into her when she was getting up. She swung out in the dark to hit him, but ended up hitting Vegeta. She didn't even know if he felt it, but she sure as hell did. Nursing her hurt hand, she grasped around for her flashlight so they could see,  
  
"Say Vegeta, how far do you think you can push her before she tries to kill you. Actually, why hasn't she?" Krillin asked from somewhere in the tunnel.  
  
"I couldn't see the little bastard," she muttered as the light shone into Vegeta's eyes. Thankful for once that she didn't take down the house, she flipped on the lights. A soft, almost eerie, yellow light floated down the tunnel to reveal Krillin.  
  
Vegeta looked behind to see the little bald man and realized it was his head that he'd tripped over. Krillin stopped searching the floor and looked up, then groaned. He was probably down there looking for the bag of jellybeans Goku had mashed to the bottom of his boot, since that was where his gaze fell.  
  
"Right now all I want to do is get some sleep." Bulma said, opening the door to the house.  
  
"Here, here," Krillin said, following her in. Goku only put a hand to his head and stuck the other one out to stop Vegeta. "Hey, Goku. It's the beetle monster," he called from inside.  
  
Grinning, Goku put his fingers in his ears. Vegeta stared at him with a confused look until he heard Bulma screaming at Krillin. She repeated the same speech she gave to all the boys. "I am a WOMAN! Now get out!" was all Goku could hear once he removed his hands. Krillin stumbled out, dodging various objects Bulma found to throw at him.  
  
Wiping himself off, he glared at Goku. "You knew she was going to do that, didn't you?"  
  
Goku only looked at him innocently. "Well, it's common sense Krillin. Anyway, I was going to warn you until you brought up the beetle monster." He was interrupted by a delicious smell. "What's that?"  
  
Somehow Vegeta got a fire started and was barbequing something over his makeshift bonfire. "Smells good," Krillin commented, sitting by Goku.  
  
Vegeta regarded them coolly, but eventually fed them. "I didn't know you knew how to cook," Goku said between mouthfuls.  
  
"When you get shipped off to another planet at the age of one you learn what to eat and how," Vegeta snarled. "Just eat it."  
  
"It's good," Krillin admitted. "Well, we found something he's good for."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Vegeta snapped, glaring at Krillin.  
  
"Well, if you'd never come to Earth in the first place, then we wouldn't have to go through this. But now that we're here, you're the only one of us that can cook."  
  
"What about the woman?"  
  
"Like I said, you're the only one of us than can cook." The door opened just wide enough for something else to hit Krillin's head. "I swear, she should've tried out for minor league baseball."  
  
After the basic I'm-better-than-you man talk, Krillin attempted to fluff up a rock enough to sleep on. Goku took the woodpile and Vegeta sat by the fire, not trusting the Earthlings enough to sleep but knowing he was tired. He propped his head on one hand and busied himself by drawing calculations in the sand, trying to find out how long it would take him to get home. He sat back and sighed with the knowledge that he no longer had a home to go back to.  
  
"It takes about two months either way," Goku said from behind him. Vegeta turned at the waist, ready to fight. "Hey, peace," he said, two fingers up as he sat down. Vegeta watched him the entire way. Goku leaned over and corrected some of the numbers. "Now try."  
  
Vegeta worked it out, then stared, wide-eyed at Goku. "How did you know that?" Kakorrot had always struck him a the purely fighter type.  
  
Goku smiled and sat back on his elbows, one foot tucked under his other outstretched leg. "Well, with my wife always pushing Gohan to do his work, you learn a thing or two whether you like it or not." His voice was light, but Vegeta could pick the ghost passing in his eyes at the mention of his son's name. "So, what's it like to be a prince?"  
  
"Why?" Vegeta was immediately suspicious of something going on.  
  
Goku shrugged the best he could while in that position. "I mean you have all this power, people to obey you, and the closest thing I have to meeting royalty is my wife and my father-in-law."  
  
"I don't remember much before Frieza came to get me," Vegeta began. "My life was just a waiting game until I was old enough and strong enough to best my father, then waiting until my son was strong enough to defeat me. It's an endless game on that world." He smiled a little. "And being a prince made me extremely unpopular with the men, but very well off among the women." He sighed and wondered why he was telling Goku all this. Maybe it was because he started to trust him, maybe it was because it couldn't be used against him, maybe... maybe he liked him? No, it wasn't that yet.  
  
Goku rolled over. "You know, you should show your sentimental side more. It won't kill you to have feelings. If it did, you'd be the last living Saiyan anywhere."


	2. Part 2

Vegeta surprised himself by waking to the rhythmic up-and-down motion of his head. Then he realized he'd fallen asleep, and was now using Goku as a pillow. He could hear the younger fighter's healthy heart beating under his ear, so Vegeta immediately levered himself off and laid the other way. If they hadn't killed him already then they weren't going to, he decided. Yawning, he took one last glance at the somehow still burning fire before drifting off again.  
  
He awoke again to the ruckus of getting ready to leave. As it turned out, no one except Goku was a morning person, especially when the only transportation was seriously broken. Vegeta joined the others outside, still groggy from actually sleeping.  
  
"Well, I can't fix it," Krillin was saying, eyeing the shattered Namek vessel.  
  
"I wasn't expecting you to, nitwit," Bulma said, climbing Kami's old ship. "But it would help if you could stop these leaks." She went to work with a hammer and a monkey wrench.  
  
'Oh, how high-tech,' Goku couldn't help thinking. 'She can invent things no one has ever dreamed of, she can pilot an alien ship to two different planets, and she can make something than can travel almost the speed of light, but she has to fix it with a hammer?' It was ridiculously funny to him. He grinned and went to see if she needed any help.  
  
"The only help I need is to keep you sane!" she yelled. "Go and... get some water or something! Food maybe! Just get out of my face or so help you Kami!" She shook the hammer at him, but the threat might have been more effective had she not slipped and almost fallen off. "Get OUT of here!" she finally bellowed.  
  
"Morning Vegeta," Goku said cheerfully. Vegeta only grunted in response. "I'm surrounded by people who think morning is a curse!"  
  
"I'm hungry is all. What's to eat?" he called up to Bulma.  
  
"Whatever you can find," she yelled back between whacks. "But you better hurry. I plan to leave in about an hour!" She wiped the sweat off her forehead and the hammer slipped, hitting Vegeta on the head. He growled, but she only put her hands on her hips and demanded that he give it back.  
  
"It'll take us that long to find anything," Goku muttered to himself. "Hey Vegeta! Are you any good at fishing?" Vegeta gave him a peculiar look, and Goku's smile widened.  
  
Bulma heard Goku and leaned as far over the side of the ship as she dared. "No fish!" she yelled, the image of a seven-year-old Goku padding happily along with a six-foot fish trailing behind him still fresh in her mind.. "No! Not any! You hear me? If I so much as SMELL a fish I'll kill you! Goku!" She noticed Krillin trying to sneak off and go with them, but Bulma's sharp eye caught him. "No way! You have enough water to put up with in there, so get to it!"  
  
Krillin hesitated. "Bring back lots of fish Goku!" he yelled after his best friend before scurrying back into the ship.  
  
Goku's Saiyan ears heard them both quite clearly. He turned to Vegeta, that same grin still plastered on his face. "You heard the man. Let's go!"  
  
As Vegeta quickly learned, Goku's... UNIQUE fishing habits were actually quite effective. He even tried it and was surprised at how easy it was to dropkick an extremely large flounder halfway across the lake.  
  
Goku crawled out of the water with his prize, a trout a little bigger than the one Bulma remembered. "Hey, nice catch, Vegeta," he complimented when the older warrior flung his meal, a little over the twelve-foot mark, onto the beach.  
  
"Yeah. A good snack," he agreed, his spiky black hair falling in his eyes. "Let's get back before that woman can smell us."  
  
Bulma, however, was waiting for them with one finger pointed back toward the water. "Bath," she ordered, The boys dropped the fish and turned. "Oh, no. You are to take these back with you."  
  
Krillin raced up to grab one. "Forget it. I'LL cook the damn things if it means I can eat."  
  
Most of Goku's catch was gone by the time the fishermen returned. "Krillin, I swear you're one of us sometimes," he said, looking over his half-eaten snack.  
  
"No kidding, Cueball," Vegeta said as he ripped out a huge chunk of the alien food. "This is pretty good." He may have been a prince, but his eating habits left much to be desired. It was almost like having double vision watching the Saiyans eat. Krillin bit back a remark about how Vegeta looked like a rat when he ate; cheeks all puffed out and still shoving more in.  
  
"Well, I fixed it," Bulma said, wiping her hands on an oily cloth. "It's enough to get us home."  
  
"Yeah! We're going home!" Goku cheered. Flecks of fish flew out of his mouth before he had the sense to swallow. "Finally!"  
  
"All except me," Vegeta said coolly, finishing the last bit of his meal.  
  
"Then what are you going to do? Float around in space for a while? Hey, that's not such a bad idea," Bulma said, rubbing her chin. Vegeta only looked at her proudly, then sneered.  
  
"Well, you can stay with us for a while," Goku offered. "After two months straight, you might like what you find. Think about it, okay?"  
  
"Well, I wouldn't take it that far," Krillin muttered. "Besides, how are the others going to handle it? I mean, if Bulma doesn't kill him Chi Chi will."  
  
"If Bulma and Vegeta both make it to Earth then we'll have nothing to worry about," Goku said, stretching.  
  
"Who says we'll get along?" Bulma interrupted. "I still haven't forgiven him."  
  
"For what?" Krillin wanted to know.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure I'll find something. Besides the fifty-two things already on my list."  
  
"Fifty three," Krillin muttered, shielding his eyes. A certain prince had just knocked off part of the ship.  
  
"You got any Scotch tape?" Goku asked.  
  
"No," Bulma said tolerantly.  
  
"Think super glue'll work then?"  
  
"Goku, do we HAVE super gule?" Goku thought for a minute then shook his head. "Then I guess we won't find out, will we?" She shook her head and grabbed Vegeta and stood him by Goku. "You, just stay out of my way," she ordered. "Now, get in that stupid ship!"  
  
She went over to the ship, complaining about how stupid men were the entire way. Vegeta shook his head and followed Krillin. Goku paused, looking back to where he'd last seen Gohan. 'I'll wish you back, son,' he silently vowed. Then, with one sun setting and another starting to rise, he turned back to the ship.  
  
**============================================**  
  
"Um, hello?"  
  
The giant leaned over his desk. The little boy standing there was playing with the hem of his shirt. "Yes? How may I help you?"  
  
"Well..." He dropped his shirt and looked up. "Are you King Kai? I have to find him. My dad might need my help."  
  
"No, I'm King Yemma. How do you know about King Kai?" He adjusted his glasses and peered closer. There was something very familiar about this boy, but he couldn't put his finger on it.  
  
"Dad told me about him. He said he was a great trainer. Well, now I need to train if I'm gonna help." He was looking more hopeful and less like a little kid with each passing moment.  
  
"Who was your dad?" Yemma asked, finally frustrated with trying to figure out who the hell this kid was. He looked so damn familiar, but who did he look like?  
  
"Goku," the boy said proudly, with none of the meekness from before. He looked up, and Yemma could see in his eyes he wasn't any ordinary little boy.  
  
Yemma saw the resemblance in a minute. That same simple-minded innocence and if-you-only-believe charm was the same. "Yes. Who could forget him? But how did you get here?"  
  
"Frieza." The venom in his voice was the same in any Saiyan, but in a human? Yemma mentally shook his head. If Goku was more than human, then his son must be as well. "So, has he been here at all?"  
  
Yemma was still getting over his shock. This boy challenged Frieza, and almost lived through it?! Yemma and King Kai had been monitoring the fight, but who had known then this was the young warrior who had also fought Vegeta back on Earth? The strong voice brought Yemma out of his reverie.  
  
"Sorry, m'boy. This is the EARTH check-in station. Only someone that is born or killed here comes through."  
  
His face fell. "Did Dad come here then?" he asked sadly.  
  
"No. I think he won. Very impressive show too." Yemma winked at him. "What's your name?"  
  
"Gohan." He looked back up at the huge man behind the desk. "But can I train?"  
  
Yemma nodded. "Yes. But I want to warn you about some things that you'll run into on your way. First of all, NEVER fall off of Snake Way. You won't be able to get back on." Yemma debated this for a moment, remembering that Goku had made it back, but he decided it was better to be safe than sorry. "And about halfway is a castle. That is Princess Snake's, and she'll be on the lookout for anyone coming by. Don't stop there for anything."  
  
The guide that Yemma had sent for spotted Gohan and groaned. "If all these people make it to King Kai, we're going to have to extend Snake Way!" He allowed the little warrior to hop in the cart. "I know he likes visitors, but this is getting ridiculous! And they're all rude. Especially that green man. Violent he is. Broke a lot of things before we let him go." He kept muttering as he started to drive to Snake Way.  
  
Gohan only grinned at the guide's words. To him that meant only one thing. Piccolo was still in action  
  
**============================================**  
  
"This is so much like the trip here," Krillin complained, staring out a window. "I wonder if we'll run into our friends with the mirror ship again."  
  
"I hope not." Bulma shivered at the memory. "But then again, they DID have a nice piece of work there." She grinned. "Easy to pilot."  
  
Vegeta looked at Goku, and the latter shrugged. "I have no idea. I wasn't with them."  
  
"Well, I'm going to bed," Bulma said, stretching the cramps out of her arms and legs. "I can't believe it's already been four days!"  
  
"I can. It seems like so much longer," Krillin muttered, tracing circles on the glass with one finger. He was bored out of his mind; it seemed like he couldn't keep his mind on his thoughts.  
  
"Hey, Krillin," Goku said, tapping him on the shoulder. "I have a few questions to ask you."  
  
"Hm?" Krillin looked around lazily.  
  
Goku ticked each question off on his fingers. "One: how the hell did my son end up with Piccolo? Two: Why didn't he kill him, and three: why didn't you stop him?!" His voice got so loud that even Vegeta had to turn around. Bulma stuck her head back out to see what was going on.  
  
Krillin tried to stop cowering long enough to give one of Goku's roundabout answers. Unfortunately, Goku had not only mastered those replies, he'd invented them. Krillin couldn't get around them. "Well, you see..." Krillin began. "Um, Piccolo knew Gohan had powers, so he took him, and he was going to kill anyone who tried to stop him." If Goku had been human, he wouldn't have understood a word. But being around Goku so much had somehow improved Bulma's hearing and she could get the gist of what he was saying, even at the speed he was saying it.  
  
"Besides, Piccolo wouldn't let anything happen to Gohan. How do you think he died?" Bulma asked.  
  
Goku bit back a sharp reply when Krillin continued. "Gohan just wants to be as strong as you."  
  
"So does he!" Goku accused, pointing a finger at Vegeta. The prince only glared at him and Goku withdrew his hand.  
  
"Was that supposed to prove a point?" Vegeta growled.  
  
"So he fights like Piccolo with your strength. The fact is that if Piccolo hadn't taken him, he'd still be a spoiled little brat that would cry then change into a twenty-foot monkey! He loves you and respects the one that was actually around to teach him!" Krillin exploded. At that last insult, Goku's hair was tinted a little gold. "I'm sorry Goku. That was out of line."  
  
"Damn right it was," he growled, but allowed his power to slip back down. He sat on the floor and glared at his best friend.  
  
Bulma shoved Krillin out of the way and slapped Goku across the cheek. Shocked, he looked up. "Stop being such a little bastard," she ordered, waving some papers under his nose. "You know just as well as I do that Piccolo would never hurt Gohan, or anyone else I know, with the exception of Vegeta. Get over it. Maybe once we all get back you'll have more time together. Until then, get a grip on reality and hold on tight." She dropped the papers in his lap and left.  
  
Bulma was almost as amazed at her antics as Vegeta was. She didn't look back, but she could feel their eyes on her back as she left. Goku dug through the pile of drawings. Then he realized that Gohan had done them. The first half were stick figures labeled and with no background, but the others were complete with clothes and grass.  
  
Goku flipped through and found one, half stick figure and some clothed characters, that he had to smile at. It showed Chi Chi, infamous frying pan in hand, running after Goku and Gohan with Piccolo hovering over them, laughing. It was a perfect depiction of his family life. Goku set the crayon drawings down and put his head back against the wall. Most of them showed Gohan's memories of their time together, but they were funny too.  
  
Vegeta picked up the picture and immediately wondered why Kakorrot was so fond of it. It was poorly drawn, the coloring pathetic, and there was only one person he was sure he knew. He almost crumbled it up, but Goku grabbed it to lay with the others.  
  
"Are you going to stop being a bitch?" Krillin asked.  
  
Goku smiled. "Yep. But in order to do that, I have to take it all out on you."  
  
Krillin was confused for a moment, then grinned. "You're on, pal." He slumped to the floor and looked at Goku. "Let's see what you've got."  
  
Goku smirked back, both of them knowing it wasn't possible that Krillin could win. He closed his eyes, concentrating. For a moment he looked like he was in pain, then he slipped into the alternate dimension where they could fight without actually killing each other. It took less than a second for them to spot each other and begin the fight.  
  
"Having fun?" Goku asked as he kept Krillin busy with a flurry of punches and kicks.  
  
"You bet," he grunted, finding an open spot and lunging. He was rewarded when Goku was knocked back several feet.  
  
"Nice," Goku complimented while he formed a ball of energy in his hands. Krillin copied him, his own hands resting at his waist. Simultaneously, they launched their attacks. The powers clashed and faded. "Hey, not bad. It's almost as strong as mine."  
  
"But what about mine?" Both boys narrowly missed a shock that flew by them. It Krillin had any hair, it would've been reduced to a buzz cut down the right side of his head. Goku smacked it away, but it did leave a burn on his hands.  
  
"Vegeta?" Both Earthlings wondered how he got there, and Vegeta wondered if he could take them and win.  
  
The older man wore his trademark smirk. "Are you going to stand there and gawk or are you going to fight?" he sneered.  
  
"Take a guess," Krillin said, launching a Destructo Disk. Vegeta jerked his head aside, though it did give him a haircut. He countered Goku's attacks with his own and somehow got time to fire at Krillin.  
  
"Well, Kakorrot. I can't help but notice you're holding back." Vegeta shoved him back and fired away.  
  
"And if that was your best shot you're in trouble," Goku said from his new spot behind him. "And it would take all the fun away." He taunted Vegeta a bit more.  
  
'Spoken like a true Saiyan,' Vegeta couldn't help but think to himself. He easily avoided Goku and went after Krillin. Catching the monk, he threw him up in the air and froze him, preparing to blow him apart, his favorite finishing move. Surprisingly, Goku did the honors.  
  
With the defeat of Krillin, the three came crashing back into their bodies. Goku rubbed his hands and Vegeta checked his hair just to make sure nothing physical had happened.  
  
"I can't believe it! My own best friend tried to kill me!" Krillin said, outraged. "What kind of stunt WAS that Goku?"  
  
He only smiled. "It's only making you stronger Krillin."  
  
"Well you coulda done that BEFORE we killed Frieza! Who's left to fight besides Cactus-head over here?" Vegeta didn't so much as blink at the insult. Krillin shook his head and commented, "But wow, Vegeta. I've never seen you fight like that. How come you weren't like that when we fought Frieza?"  
  
"I was. But he was so much stronger you really couldn't notice." He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He hated to admit it, but it felt good to relax. That word hadn't been in his vocabulary a week before, and now he was even having a bit of human-style fun. And he had two months of nothing happening, no fights, and no Frieza. For the first time in his life he felt really free and powerful, like some terrible thing that had been torturing him all his life had finally been killed. And he liked it.  
  
**============================================**  
  
"So, this is Snake Way?" Gohan peered out over the road from the dragon head, just as his father had done a year ago."That's it?"  
  
"Yep. Nothin' fancy. Just a road that's about a thousand miles long. Or was it ten thousand? Either way young fella, you got a ways to go. Good luck." When he turned the cart around, the friendly country hillybilly vanished. "You'll need it kid."  
  
Gohan heard him perfectly well and scowled without turning around. He let himself fall onto the road. "Well, I better get going then. I hope I won't be needed for a while." He got a running start and flew, humming an old song his dad taught him.  
  
"That kid. Just like the others. Stubborn. Hope he doesn't run into those guys. Nasty bunch they were." The guide shook his head and turned the cart around. Still muttering, he made his way back to King Yemma.  
  
**============================================**  
  
"Why that little..." Chi Chi was saying, still angry at Goku, even though she'd talked to him over a week ago. She was slicing carrots, and the Ox King was afraid she'd end up cutting off her fingers, especially with the force she was using.  
  
"Now calm down Chi Chi," he said, eyeing the blade warily. He was trying to muster up enough courage to try and wrestle the thing away from her.  
  
His wild daughter paid him no attention. She dumped the food into a pot of boiling water, almost dumping the hot liquid over her. The Ox King finally grabbed her by the shoulders and sat her down.  
  
"What's the matter?" Even while she slumped in the chair, he didn't let go. He'd never seen her this accident-prone. Even Goku was better than this.  
  
"I miss them," she said finally. "I haven't seen Gohan in practically two years, and now he'd gone off to some stranger's to train, and I don't know when he'll be back! And Goku's been gone for even longer!" Her eyes narrowed at the thought of her husband. "O, just wait until I get my hands on him..."  
  
But the Ox King's attention wasn't fully on his daughter. He barely noticed her going from absolute worry and sadness to Vegeta-level rage. He wasn't even really listening because his attention was tuned in on Bulma's father, who had come stumbling into the room. That wasn't what caught his eye though. It was the trail of blood following him and the many bruises marching up and down his arms.  
  
Bulma's dad crept silently behind the still talking Chi Chi. The Ox King followed the scientist with his eyes, trying not to let Chi Chi see them look past her. But Chi Chi was pissed, not blind. In a moment she sat up. "Where do you think you're going?"  
  
He ran a shaking hand through his purple hair. He knew he needed help, but he was damned if it was going to come from that woman. Even normal she would kill him, but in this state she could probably look at him and he'd keel over.  
  
He leaned on the wall and tried to ignore the growing pain in his chest. "To the bathroom," he finally choked out, closing his eyes.  
  
To Chi Chi it sounded like Gohan lying through his teeth. But to her father it sounded like it was time to get some help. Hoping Chi Chi wouldn't slaughter the man, he left her in quick search of a telephone.  
  
Chi Chi smiled a little. "Nice try. That's the same stunt Gohan pulled." When she turned around, the smile vanished and a look of horror replaced it.  
  
"Papa," Chi Chi said, going to the almost unconscious man. "Call an ambulance!" She sounded calm on the outside, trying to keep her cool, but on the inside she felt like a tornado had passed through.  
  
"I already did," he said, leading the white-coated paramedics to the injured doctor. "They're here."  
  
Chi Chi helped the men load the genius onto the stretcher. "Papa, go with them. I have to tell Bulma about this." She swallowed thickly, wondering how in the hell she was going to manage that.  
  
The Ox King was giving the emergency squad a quick run-down of his history, glad for once that the two families were so close.  
  
Chi Chi stood in front of the screen, suddenly realizing that she didn't know how to turn it on. Frustrated, she started pounding on the machine. "O, why did it have to be HIM? I don't even know how to work this thing!" After about ten minutes, she finally hit the right combination of buttons and was rewarded when the screen blinked to life.  
  
The picture was of an empty ship. "Bulma? Bulma? Get over here," Chi Chi hissed loudly, wanting to get this over with now that she'd found the guts to do it.  
  
"Shh," Bulma said groggily, slipping into the pilot's seat. "They're asleep."  
  
"I have something to tell you. About your father." Bulma was immediately awake. Maybe that was the bad feeling she'd had in her gut a little while ago. She sat up and listened to her friend. "He looked like he got into a fight with both hands tied behind his back. I mean, we got him to the hospital, but I don't know about his condition."  
  
Bulma was shocked speechless. "Will he make it?" she finally asked, throat dry, dreading the answer.  
  
Chi Chi couldn't face Bulma, couldn't see that haunted look in her eyes. "I really don't know," she said sorrowfully to the floor. "Papa went with him, but he hasn't called or anything. It only takes them a minute to get from here to there, so I'll hear from him soon."  
  
Both women heard the door opening, and Chi Chi turned barely in time to see it was her father. He plopped down on the chair and held his head in his hands. He was mumbling, like he was trying to convince himself of something.  
  
"Papa?" Chi Chi cast a worried glance at Bulma, then tapped the Ox King's arm. "Papa? Are you all right?"  
  
The huge man sucked in a breath and held it. When he exhaled, he looked up at Chi Chi. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.  
  
Chi Chi raised an inquisitive eyebrow before what he said hit her. Bulma was knocking on the glass on her end to get Chi Chi's attention. The latter turned to face her. In Vegeta's simple words she said, "He's dead." But not before breaking out into tears.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Gohan's immediate reaction when he woke was to blast the guy into another dimension. Until he remembered they were IN another dimension, and he recognized the face.  
  
"Hey Gohan." The gruff voice greeted him with tenderness and warmth.  
  
"Hi Mr. Piccolo," Gohan said happily, a grin spreading across his face.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Gohan peered behind his teacher and saw Yamcha, Tien and Chaozu, all with confused looks directed at him.  
  
"Yes, Gohan. What ARE you doing here?" Piccolo asked.  
  
"Well, I was fighting Frieza and..." He trailed off, getting too angry to continue. Piccolo felt his power rise and tried to calm the boy before he did something drastic. Gohan took a few deep breaths and said, "I know he's dead though. My dad killed him for sure."  
  
"How did this happen?" Yamcha was astonished. The Saiyan always put himself in unspeakable danger to protect his son. What had gone wrong this time?  
  
"The Ginyu force was in his way. All of them."  
  
"Those idiots that King Kai made us fight before we left?" Tien asked. "Goku's getting soft." All except Piccolo chuckled, and Gohan threw him a look filled with venom and daggers. Piccolo put a hand on his students's arm to stop him from advancing, and Gohan powered down. "Sorry Gohan," Tien apologized, feeling the kid's power. "I know that one of them is tough, and Goku fighting all of them had to keep him busy." The others nodded in agreement.  
  
"Guys, I know this is rude, but we have to get back and start looking for the dragonballs. You want to get wished back, right Gohan?" Chaozu asked, looking at the little warrior.  
  
"He's right," Piccolo confirmed.  
  
"Yeah. I know my mom will wish me back as soon as she gets her hands on all seven." He smiled a little. "I miss her. But I know that she's gonna baby me for the rest of my life after this." He held out his hand. A little note he'd been writing to take his mind off his father laid in his palm. "I guess now she'll have a chance to get this," he muttered to himself, holding the slip of paper out to Piccolo. "Give this to my mom when you get back? At least then she'll know I'm all right."  
  
"Sure, kid," Piccolo said, rubbing Gohan's head affectionately. Then he remembered the others were there and hardened his expression. "See you in one year then." He allowed himself a small smile and took to the air.  
  
"See ya 'round," Tien said, hovering over the road. He took off after Piccolo, disappearing in a pinpoint of light. Chaozu nodded respectfully at Goku's son and followed his best friend's lead.  
  
"Yeah. Train hard Gohan. I'm sure they'll be proud of you," were Yamcha's parting words as he lifted off to join his companions.  
  
"I will," he promised himself as he waved at his friends. "You just wait and see. Hang on King Kai. I'm coming!"  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma was nearly hysterical when she flicked off the screen. She didn't want Chi Chi to see her cry, although her friend would've been as brainless as her husband to think she wouldn't. Vegeta rolled over, now awake and trying to block the sounds of her sniffles.  
  
Finally, completely agitated, he sat up and snapped, "Will you stop that?" He thought it was her way of getting back for accidentally tripping her after the training match that afternoon. Yet there was no comeback, no insult, not even the sound of her breathing. And that creeped him out more than anything else. Bulma just wasn't quiet, so he rubbed his eyes and stood to see what was wrong with her.  
  
Bulma looked at him, eyes already red-rimmed, before turning around to stare out at the not-so-interesting scenery. Not knowing what to do, he hesitantly tapped her shoulder.  
  
"What do you want," she snapped, but not with the usual acid in her voice.  
  
He searched for something to say. Making conversation wasn't his best quality, and especially with her. "What's wrong with you?" he finally came up with.  
  
"Why do you care?" She didn't turn around, but she opened her eyes, slightly amazed at his actions.  
  
"I don't, but I'll never get any sleep with you doing that." That only made her cry harder. "I told you to stop that!" he ordered sternly.  
  
"You shut up!" she yelled, loud enough to wake the dead. Goku and Krillin must've been more than dead because neither of them so much as twitched. "Just shut up!" she said again, hitting him blindly. "My father just died, and it was probably because someone like YOU killed him!"  
  
Vegeta stared at her like she was stupid. "The only Saiyans left are Kakorrot and me."  
  
But Bulma wasn't listening. "He was like my best friend." Her lower lip trembled as she struggled to hold the rest of her tears back. "I just can't believe he's gone. We invented a lot together. He taught me everything..." She drifted off into her family history, which was more than Vegeta cared to hear. Every little bit he listened to made him feel like he understood her. And everything she told him was bringing her closer to the point where all her dammed up feelings would just break free. The vision of her father on the viewscreen flashed into her mind and she cracked. Flinging her arms around Vegeta, she hugged him and cried into his black tank top.  
  
Vegeta was frozen. He'd never seen anyone act like this, and especially not anyone like Bulma. 'Well, this worked for Kakorrot,' he thought, as he cautiously slipped his arms around her. Going off of Goku's example, he slowly rocked her until she quieted down. They'd been sitting like that so long that his leg was starting to cramp. Not knowing what else to do, he picked her up and carried her to her room. 'At least now I can get some sleep,' he thought, shouldering open the door.  
  
Somehow Bulma kept a death grip on him while she slept, which he found out when she refused to drop onto the bed. Frustrated and not wanting to break her arms off, he laid beside her until she rolled over. He quickly leapt off and shook himself. That woman's presence was bad enough, but to actually be like a sort of of prisoner to her was downright unbearable. He scowled at her. She could agitate him even when she was asleep.  
  
Yawning, he made his way back out to his spot on the floor. But he couldn't sleep. 'Damn that woman,' he thought, tossing and turning. He was wondering what was going on, and wondering even more why he cared.  
  
**============================================**  
  
"What happened to him Papa?" Chi Chi demanded as Bulma broke the connection. When he refused to look up, she punched him in the arm. "What happened?"  
  
The Ox King lazily avoided his daughter's kick to the shin. "Calm down and I'll tell you." He waited until her rampage had subsided before continuing. "I think he was attacked. That was no experiment gone wrong. Even he couldn't make anything that would hurt him like that. Maybe Bulma, but not him. Anyway, we were in the ambulance and he was scared to death, looking past me at the ceiling. Like he saw something. Whatever he saw, or thought he saw, scared him so much it gave him a heart attack. Right there in the ambulance. We couldn't help him." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I felt so helpless, like that time that you got kidnapped. There was nothing I could do, and I hated myself for it. I feel the same way now."  
  
Chi Chi tightened her fists. "I should've been there."  
  
The Ox King was tired. He reached for her hand, the small fingers laying in his gigantic palm. "There was nothing you could've done either Chi Chi. We only need one person feeling that way now."  
  
"What I can't figure out is why," Chi Chi said as she sat down. "Why him? I mean, most people thought he was crazy, not dangerous."  
  
"That's been bothering me too." The Ox King massaged his temples. "I have no idea. This is all giving me a wicked headache."  
  
Chi Chi put her head on the table. "I need a drink."  
  
"I know the feeling. Somehow I don't think this will make us feel any better."  
  
Chi Chi groaned. "No kidding. I think I'm going to sleep this off. Wake me up around dinner if you're hungry. I doubt I'm going to eat tonight." She sprawled out on her bed and looked at the picture of the gang. The last thing she did was turn it over before she fell asleep.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Sleepy-eyed, Gohan rolled over, and almost off of Snake Way. He caught the sharp edge, ignoring the pain until he could get himself back on. "Wow! That's really sharp!" He shook his injured hand. "That hurt!" Nursing the slash on his palm, Gohan walked by a woman on the road, not noticing there was anyone else near him until he tripped over a fallen grocery bag.  
  
"Hello," a voice said gently. It was a young woman, strikingly pretty, and carrying what looked like a ton of full brown paper bags.  
  
"Hi." He picked up the bag carefully, as not to spill more of its contents. He caught another one that was slipping and asked, "Would you like some help?"  
  
"Oh, what a sweet little man," she said, impressed at his manners. "Yes, please. Right this way." She saw something familiar about him as well, but she didn't look too closely.  
  
He dropped the shopping bags on the counter and placed the jars where told to. The blond wiped her forehead with her arm.  
  
"Thank you. Now, what is such a sweet young man like you doing here?" She leaned on the counter and looked down on him.  
  
"I was helping my dad fight. I guess I wasn't strong enough, so I came to train with King Kai." His eyes were downcast and he bent his head. "I guess I got a little sidetracked."  
  
She smiled. That simple innocence was so charming. "Well, I'm glad you did." She rustled his hair. "Now, as a thank you, I'm going to make you something to eat. Would you like that?"  
  
Gohan looked up happily. "Yes please!"  
  
She tapped him lightly on the back and guided him out the door. "Then get out of my kitchen," she said playfully. "I'll be there in a minute." As she set to work, she thought, 'Since he's such a sweet little kid, I won't put any sleepy grass in his food. Princess Snake will understand.'  
  
'What's wrong with this place?' Gohan thought as he kicked his feet under the table. 'She seems really nice.' He grinned as the plates were brought out. "This place is beautiful," he complimented as he eyed the food.  
  
She laughed as she placed the platters on the table. "I think you'll appreciate it better on a full stomach."  
  
"I appreciate everything better on a full stomach." He went to reach for it, but thought better and sat back.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Aren't you going to eat?"  
  
"No, that's okay." She was still puzzled why that stopped him. "You go ahead."  
  
He still waited. "Mom told me it wasn't polite to eat until a lady sat down."  
  
It took her a moment to realize he was looking past her. "Princess Snake?"  
  
The redhead princess smiled at them. "Yes. I was asked if I wanted to join our guest for lunch." Peering behind the woman, the blond assistant could see her brunette friend. "I hope that's okay with you." She smiled at the little warrior.  
  
Gohan smiled back shyly. "Of course."  
  
The blond pulled the princess aside. "There's no sleepy grass in his food. He helped me with the bags."  
  
Princess Snake nodded and sat down. "Go ahead." Studying the boy, she, like everyone else that had met Goku, noticed he was remarkably like someone she'd met before.  
  
Gohan started an easy conversation. "How are you?" His fork coninued to slip through his fingers. "Don't you ever get lonely out here?"  
  
Snake looked at him. "Haven't you ever used a fork before?" she asked as the utensil fell to the floor.  
  
"Of course," Gohan said, ducking under the table to retrive the piece of metal. "But the last time I did was two years ago." He crawled further under to find it, almost banging his head on the underside. When he got back in his chair, after finishing a quick explantion of his mother, he dropped the fork on his plate and asked, "Do you mind if I just use my hands? This just isn't working."  
  
"Sure. Do you want me to get you something to wash your hands in?"  
  
"Yes please." Gohan didn't mind eating with his hands a bit grungy, after all, he DID live with Piccolo for a year, but he didn't want to appear a rude guest.  
  
Snake was shocked at his table manners. For such a young kid, she was sure he would be a rude, naive boy that had no idea what politeness was. As he rinsed his hands in the small tub she'd had a servant bring, she asked, "So, what's your name?"  
  
"Gohan." He thanked the servant and dried his hands, turning to his food once more. "What's your name?"  
  
"I am Princess Snake."  
  
Gohan smiled. "I've heard a lot about you. Boy were they wrong. Dad was even wrong. You're a nice lady."  
  
"Who was your dad?"  
  
"Goku." Gohan scooped up a piece of meat and munched on it, waiting for her reaction.  
  
"Goku..." Then the face came into her mind, the same face that sat before her now. He was so much like his father it was uncanny, but his manners were so much better. Everything else from his face to the way he held himself screamed he was indeed his father's son. Snake scowled as she pulled the brunette over. "Put some sleepy grass in his juice. I want to see something."  
  
"Right away," the assistant whispered back.  
  
"Are you thirsty little one?" Princess Snake asked sweetly. Just as she had surmised, he didn't refuse. Instead, he downed the whole glass in steady gulps. She pulled the dark-haired woman back to her. "I thought I told you to put some sleepy grass in there!" she hissed.  
  
"I did! A whole jar! And the improved kind too! There was enough to knock out an elephant for two days in there! And he just drank it like it was regular apple juice! What IS it with this family?"  
  
Snake knew just what she meant. "Fine. See if you can sneak some into his food then." Turning back to Gohan, she smiled. "Sorry about that. How was the juice? It was a special recipe."  
  
Gohan looked at his empty glass. "It was good. I've never had anything like it before. May I have some more?" He smiled slightly.  
  
"How about some candy first?" She held out a jar of pure sleepy grass. 'If this doesn't put him to sleep, I don't know what will.'  
  
"Thank you." He accepted as much as he dared. He grinned his "two-thumbs-up" smile to tell her how much he appreciated it.  
  
Snake was shocked speechless. Her assistants were unmoving as they watched the boy eat the grass. Then Snake remembered something about all little kids. She almost slapped herself on the forehead. 'Of course! All he needs is a bath! That's what makes children go to sleep! A bath!'  
  
She leaned on the table. "Would you like a bath Gohan?" she asked sweetly.  
  
"Yeah." He looed down at his ragged clothing. "I guess I am kinda smelly. Could I?"  
  
"Follow me." In the time it took her to blink, he was by her side. "This way," she said lightly, but tried to keep an eye on him from that moment on.  
  
Just as she'd done with Goku, she spied on him from around the corner, covering her ears when he sang. Without the shower. She wondered to herself, "How can he stand that? He can't be more than ten, and he's making it seem like it's only lukewarm." Indeed, Gohan was happily scrubbing away in the five thousand degree hot srping. To him it felt a little warmer than a bath Chi Chi had drawn for him.  
  
"Hmm. That felt good," Gohan said, finding new clothes on a rock. "Hey. These aren't mine." They reminded him of the outfit he wore before training with Piccolo.  
  
"Yours were put in the wash, but..."  
  
Gohan looked down at the yellow shirt and slipped it over his head. "Better this than nothing." As he got used to them, he noticed they were heavier, like his dad's and Piccolo's. "And they're weighted?"  
  
"Yes. If you're going to train with King Kai you'll need them." Of course, she didn't expect him to make it that far either.  
  
He looked behind him, half expecting to see a tail again. "These aren't so bad once you get used to them." He grinned. "Thanks."  
  
Snake rolled her eyes. "Come on back in." He yawned as they walked through the door. Snake grinned as he collaped on the chair, fast asleep. "Like clockwork." The burnette held up the Dream Mirror. "Oh, yes!" She was eager to see what he dreamed about.  
  
While Gohan snored contently, Princess Snake peered into his dreams. It interupted a sweet dream about Gohan giggling and rolling while watching Chi Chi chase Goku with the tradtional rolling pin.  
  
'He gave me up for that?' Snake wondered as she watched the dream change. She was horrified. Had she not been only watiching this through Gohan's eyes she was sure she would've been sick.  
  
She could see his tiny hands beating on a stained tail that was forever tightening around his throat. She had to shield her eyes from the brilliant light produced from energy beams. The shots rocked and blurred the kid's vision as the his own ki balsts bounced off the short alien and went through his stomach and arms, one disentegrating his hand. Out of the corner of his eyes, Snake could see Goku, fighting off four figures, trying to get to his son.  
  
Ingnoring the faint feeling, Gohan was shooting at the infamous Ginyu force, trying to direct their attenion away from Goku. For a moment it worked, until Goku crashed two heads together. Goku's hair was flickering gold as Gohan was repeatedly pounded by fireballs and such from the figure Snake had recognized as Frieza. As he fought, Goku had a murderous look on his face, one that scared Gohan so much that he was more afraid of his father than Frieza.  
  
Snake winced when the tail threw him up in the air and pumelled him again until he fell to the ground. Gohan's vision went red as he glared hatefully at Frieza. He coughed up blood on his hand, eyes slding to a noise at his side. He sat up just enough to make out Dende shooting at Frieza. The tiny alien grinned wickedly at Gohan as he directed his attention, along with a few blasts, at the Namek boy. Gohan pulled Frieza's tall, sending him off balance, but if Krillin hadn't grabbed Dende when he had, it would've been over for Gohan's little green friend.  
  
"I think you should be more worried about yourself, kid," Frieza said, again grabbing Gohan around the throat. This time the boy's hands didn't bother to claw at the bleeding flesh.  
  
Gohan spit out the blood in his mouth. He tried to say something, but he could hardly breathe let alone speak. Frieza dropped the youngster on the ground, still grinning and confident.  
  
"Really now. I thought you were beyond all insults. I suppose all Saiyans are the same. Look at Vegeta. His father was so defiant, and now they're both dead. Talk if you want." He dropped Gohan again and put a foot on his chest.  
  
Gohan tried to catch his breath before he glared up at Frieza. "My dad will kill you," he said, barely audible for Frieza OR Snake to hear. "I know he will."  
  
Frieza had something like Vegeta's trademark smirk on his face. "We'll see, little one." He picked Gohan up by the rags of his shirt. "Even though you are a filthy monkey, I do wonder where you got that power. You should join me. With me by your side, you would be unstoppable. Much more valuable than Vegeta."  
  
"Forget it," Gohan spat, the liquid tinted red. He stared Frieza in the eye. "I'll never be on your side. Bastard."  
  
Frieza's next blast was redirected by another. Gohan opened his eyes, and Snake could feel his hopefulness, only to be replaced by fear as he saw Vegeta standing there.  
  
"But... how?" Vegeta dropped Gohan and glared at Vegeta with an intensity to match the Saiyan's.  
  
"Don't worry about it," Vegeta said, getting rid of the last member of the Ginyu force. Goku's hair was a shining gold and his now blue eyes were narrowed to slits. Vegeta walked toward Frieza. "This is between us now."  
  
Frieza almost laughed. "Please Vegeta. We both know it's useless."  
  
Gohan was mustering the last of his strength and fired at Frieza one more time. He didn't even have the energy to sit up anymore. Krillin was still holding Dende back, as much as he wanted to help.  
  
Frieza grabbed Gohan and shook him roughly. "I've had enough of you, you little punk!" He threw Gohan up in the air and prepared his tail to strike.  
  
The last thing Gohan remembered was his father's power rising so high he thought he would explode, then Frieza's tail smashed through his chest and all was black.  
  
Princess Snake let the enchanted mirror drop. She closed her eyes in both shock and sickness. Even though she could ask the mirror if the dream was actually a memory, she felt, for the first time in centuries, something in her heart telling her it was real.  
  
"Ahh!" Gohan woke with a start, falling out of his chair. A ball of energy had forned in his hand while he'd been dreaming, and now he patted himself to make sure he was whole. Then he noticed the warmth in his hands and clenched his fist to get rid of it. "Sorry," he muttered as he rubbed the lint off his clothes. "Bad dream." He kept his eyes to the ground.  
  
Snake hugged him lightly. "You poor dear," she said. He didn't know she could tell him exactly what that bad dream was about, but it was comforting nonetheless. "That must've been awful."  
  
"Well, I'm thankful for the food and rest, but I really should be going now," Gohan said politely.  
  
"I have an idea. Would you like a ride halfway there? Then you'll only have a quater of the road to go."  
  
"Gee, thanks!"  
  
Gohan enjoyed the ride. The princess proved herself to be actually very funny and kind-hearted. "Now, remember to pay us a visit on the way back." She straightened his shirt hem and rubbed his hair.  
  
"I promise," Gohan agreed, tucking the bag of cookies under his shirt. "I like your food. It's even better than my mom's." He looked sad for a moment, then said, "I better not tell her that though. I'll just get sent back here again."  
  
Snake only smiled at him and hugged Gohan tighter. "As much as I would like to see you again, I don't think that's such a good idea."  
  
Gohan grinned as his newfound pals drove off. "I have such great friends," he told himself. "I just hope I can get back to the ones on Earth."  
  
**============================================**  
  
Krillin awoke to the lack of being dragged into the waking world by Bulma. He looked around, but then his eyes focused on the clock. "Goku! Hey Goku! Get up!"  
  
Goku only groaned and rolled over on his stomach. "Not now dear. Still a few more hours..." He drifted off and yawned.  
  
Krillin shook his head and shoved his snoring best friend away. He caught a glance of Vegeta sitting in the pilot's seat, literally staring off into space. He didn't turn around at Krillin's commotion, and didn't even look slightly annoyed. Krillin pinched himself a few times to make sure he wasn't still asleep.  
  
Krillin went to stand behind Vegeta, and, mustering all the courage he could, tapped the older man on the shoulder. When Vegeta didn't do so much as growl at him, Krillin backed away.  
  
"Okay, who are you and what did you do with my friends?"  
  
Vegeta gave him a cursory glance. "What ARE you talking about?"  
  
Krillin pressed himself against the wall. "What? No trying to kill me? No calling me names?"  
  
Goku yawned and sat up. Krillin pounced on him and hid behind the Saiyan's bulk, using him as a shield. "What is it? Where's Bulma?" He rubbed his eyes and squinted at the clock, asking the question again with more urgency.  
  
"Goku. Vegeta's being... being... NICE! And Bulma hasn't come out to wake us up yet. I don't get it. This is almost scary."  
  
Vegeta rolled his eyes. "She's in her room. What's so bad about that? We at least have peace and quiet." He sounded like normal until he blew it. "Why don't you just leave her alone for a while?"  
  
Krillin's jaw dropped to the floor. Goku was now fully awake. "I see what you mean," he said to his shorter friend. "I think I better check on Bulma. Just in case."  
  
Krillin snuck another glance at Vegeta, then scurried after Goku. "I'm coming with you!"  
  
Vegeta watched the people from Earth disappear from sight. He sighed and sat back, trying to figure out his emotions, something that was almost impossible for him. 'I'll have to ask Kakorrot,' Vegeta thought. 'I hate to do it, but if there's anyone that can tell me what's going on, he can.'  
  
"Bulma?" Goku knocked as lightly as he could on the door and it opened a crack. "Are you awake?"  
  
Krillin shrugged when Goku looked questioningly at him. He pushed the door open enough for him to fit through, preparing to dodge any flying objects. When there was none, he forced it all the way open and looked around. Goku was gone, probably expecting something to come hurtling at him.  
  
"Hey, Goku," Krillin said quietly, moving toward the sleeping figure on the bed. "I think something's wrong. This isn't right."  
  
"Huh?" Goku's head appeared out of nowhere. Then he noticed something Krillin hadn't been able to see in the half-darkness. Bulma's cheeks were puffy and her eyes were red, even closed. She looked like she'd been up crying most of the night.  
  
He stepped into the room, curious. Once he was close enough, he could see the hair glued to her face was held there by tear tracks. "Bulma?" he asked again, hesitantly this time. There was a weird feeling in the air between what happened with Vegeta and this.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" Vegeta demanded menacingly, grabbing Goku by the neck of his shirt and lifting him off the ground.  
  
"I WAS checking on my friend." Goku grasped for Vegeta's hand and finally got a hold on it. "Is that okay with you or do I have to file paperwork?" He powered up enough to get Vegeta to release his grip.  
  
Vegeta dropped him. "I said to let her sleep. I don't know about you Kakorrot, but I don't want to have to put up with her shit today. If she wants to stay in bed, I say let her."  
  
At Vegeta's back, Krillin said, "Well, at least he's not totally out of it."  
  
Vegeta tensed, but decided he would work Krillin over later. After all, Goku wouldn't help him if he killed the little idiot. 'Be grateful shrimp,' Vegeta thought. 'You won't be so lucky after I get what I need.'  
  
Goku looked at Krillin. "He's right in a way. If she's sick we should let her sleep. I think I should call Chi Chi. She's the nurse around here."  
  
"I'll come if you talk."  
  
Goku grinned. "I swear Krillin. You're as bad as Yamcha used to be. Stop being afraid of women."  
  
"Well, I HAVE seen you braver than when you talked to Chi Chi a few days ago."  
  
"I think I have a right considering the first girl I ever met was Bulma. Besides, I remember Master Roshi had to tell Chi Chi that I was dead and Gohan was gone. You've never actually had the guts to stand up to her."  
  
"Good point," Krillin muttered. "But I'm just a lowly Earthling. You big bad Saiyans are too much for me."  
  
"Give either of them a tail and you'd never know the difference," Goku said with yet another smile. "I think I will call. She can't give us any less information."  
  
Krillin saw Vegeta by the viewscreen and backed away. "I think I'll keep an eye on Bulma."  
  
Goku thought, 'Vegeta, hear that? You're the lesser of two evils. Poor guy.' Vegeta glared at Goku's exhausted smile, but wordlessly turned back to watch the stars go by.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma opened her eyes and groggily pushed the hair out of her face. She rolled off the bed and somehow stumbled into the bathroom, physically sick from the news. It still didn't seem real, even though her stomach combined with her imagination made it all too clear. She'd forgotten what she'd eaten yesterday, though she was reminded a few minutes after the thought of food. She felt strangely disjointed from her body, like she didn't belong in it.  
  
'I wonder if this is what it feels like to be drunk,' she thought as she reached for her toothbrush. 'Man, Dad. Am I feeling like shit because you're dead, or am I feeling like shit because you're dead?'  
  
"Huh?" Bulma looked up through half-hooded eyes to see Krillin, then realized she'd spoken the last part out loud. He picked her up to carry her to bed. "You look horrible. What happened to you?"  
  
"I feel like shit," Bulma said plainly, feeling bumps and jolts that weren't there. She felt numb, but also somehow extremely aware.  
  
"Really." Krillin set her down and shoved the blankets back over her. "I couldn't tell by just looking at you."  
  
Bulma wasn't really listening, but for a second Krillin reminded her of Vegeta. Short, annoying, and either totally self-assured and loud, or silent when he was wrong. She yawned and rolled over.  
  
"Hey, Bulma? Who were you talking to earlier?" Krillin sat on the edge of the bed to talk to her.  
  
She had to think for a minute. "When?" she finally asked, not able to remember properly.  
  
"Something about felling like shit because someone's dead. I think it went something like that."  
  
"Hmmm," Bulma groaned as she forced herself to roll back over and look at him. "Yamcha, you dolt. We had this bond thing, and I could feel it when he died, so either that's making me feel like I haven't quite made it back from hell or just the fact that he's dead. Satisfied?" Krillin nodded. "Good. Now get the hell out of here before I actually get out of bed and kill you."  
  
Krillin jumped away. "She's not a morning person," Goku said from behind him. "You should remember that sometime. It could be the deciding factor between life and death."  
  
"Thanks. I'll do my best," Krillin said sarcastically. "But something's not right. Yeah, she threatened me, but it didn't sound like she would actually do it."  
  
"Really?" Bulma had Krillin around the neck in an instant. "Don't be so sure." She shoved Krillin out of her way. Goku wisely stepped aside before she could hurt him. The boys winced when Bulma took Vegeta by the hair and the back of his shirt and threw him against the far wall. "For the last time: stay away from the controls!"  
  
Vegeta wasn't hurt, but her strength shocked him. So much that the only thing he did was mutter under his breath. They couldn't make out exactly what he said, but the phrase "dirty little woman" DID float their way. Bulma gave him a sharp kick in a place she shouldn't have, actually hurting the Saiyan.  
  
"I won't have that kind of talk on MY ship, and especially about me!" Bulma resumed piloting the ship.  
  
"She's a witch," Vegeta said as he stumbled past the Earth men. "A devil." Goku tried not laugh.  
  
Krillin had to suppress a chuckle as the proud Saiyan prince limped past them. "Guess Saiyans aren't any different from any guys on Earth."  
  
Goku smiled. "You should've figured that out a long time ago. I'm a Saiyan."  
  
"Who knew that two years ago?"  
  
"Are you two going to stand there and do nothing or am I going to have to out you to work?" Bulma demanded icily from the driver's seat.  
  
"We're going," they said in unison, ducking into the training room.  
  
"I take it back. I'd rather have her scaring me," Krillin said under his breath. "I think I like having her scare me. This is pathetic. She's usually not this bad. What's going on?"  
  
Goku put a hand to Krillin's mouth and guided him to the door. Vegeta was sitting across from Bulma, talking. He sounded calm and reasonable, not two words they'd pick off the top of their heads to describe Vegeta. Bulma looked like a nervous wreck.  
  
"They'll find out eventually," Vegeta was saying. "Why not just tell them? Or Kakorrot at least?"  
  
"I can't. I can't even think about it." Bulma's words were broken by gasps and hiccups.  
  
Vegeta crossed the room and sat next to her, draping an oh-so-casual arm around her shoulders. "You should. I know Kakorrot can help you. Even that little cueball can if you let him." He hugged her closer, trying to comfort her. "Do you want me to?"  
  
Bulma closed her eyes. "Yes."  
  
Vegeta held her like that for a few minutes. "When they come back out, I'll tell them, okay?" Bulma nodded and relaxed into his arms. She needed all the comfort she could get, even if it WAS from Vegeta. 


	3. Part 3

"I'm seeing it and not believing it," Krillin muttered under his breath, an amazed note in his voice. "Do you believe it?"  
  
"Almost. But what is Vegeta up to?" Goku could see them better than Krillin, and Vegeta was mumbling something to Bulma.  
  
"I don't know, but it can't be good. The last time he showed his feelings he died, and you almost went with him." Krillin squinted, trying to see.  
  
"The last time he showed his feelings it was to HELP me," Goku pointed out. "We were with a mass murderer at the time. too. Give him a chance. What I would like to know is why Bulma's upset."  
  
"Good point." Krillin ducked back inside and sat down. "Maybe some training will clear my head."  
  
"Yeah," Goku agreed as he slumped down across from his best friend. "Ready to lose?"  
  
"In whose dream world?" Krillin retorted before closing his eyes. Even now this mock argument wasn't old. Goku grinned and they materialized in the alternate dimension.  
  
Vegeta stuck his head in the door, thinking he heard the boys talking. "Hmm. Guess not. They're training. Later then, Kakorrot."  
  
**============================================**  
  
Rested and feeling good thanks to that food from Princess Snake, Gohan raced playfully ahead, stopping on the end of the tail. "Hey! Where is it?" He looked around. "What a cheap shot! There's nothing here!" He was getting mad at being tricked. "Why'd they lie to me?"  
  
He plunked himself down on the road. "All that for nothing." He laid back and opened his eyes. A small green planet hovered high above the road. "At least I can ask for directions or something," Gohan said to himself, getting up. A running start gave him enough height to be able to fly the rest of the way.  
  
Just when he thought he didn't have enough altitude, he felt like he was being grabbed and he plummeted to the face of the planet. Dazed, he rolled over and shook his head, ears ringing.  
  
"Hello? Why are you here?"  
  
Gohan got up on his knees and rubbed his eyes, thinking he was hearing things. "Huh? Where are you?" Then his eyes focused on the strange blue being. "Oh, hi! I needed to find King Kai, so I came up here to ask for directions. There's nothing at the end of Snake Way. I thought you might know." Gohan stood, getting over the blow. He suddenly felt heavy, and the weighted clothing felt ten times heavier, which it was.  
  
"Well, you found me. I'm King Kai, but who are you?"  
  
"Gohan. Dad said you were a great trainer, so I came here so I would be strong enough to help."  
  
"Gohan..." Then it came back to him. "Goku's boy?"  
  
Gohan brightened. "Yup. That's me!"  
  
"I remember Goku talking about you. A lot actually."  
  
"I missed him too. I've only seen him once in two years. Wait! Twice, I think. Either way, not enough."  
  
"I'll say." He looked over the rim of his sunglasses. "Gohan, did you run into any trouble on the way here?"  
  
"Trouble?"" He scratched head. "I don't think so... I ran into the guys, I stayed with Princess Snake, um... nope! No trouble." He held out his hand. "Unless you call this trouble."  
  
"Not really." Then what he said just sunk in. "You KNOW those trouble-makers?"  
  
"Huh? My friends? Yeah. And Mr. Piccolo trained me. That's why he's here. He protected me." Gohan looked at the ground sadly.  
  
'Piccolo had a soft spot for this boy?' King Kai had a somewhat hard time accepting that the son of his mortal enemy had cracked the Namek's rock-hard feelings. It blew his mind.  
  
"Well then I can ask you a question. Why did Piccolo only drink water?"  
  
Gohan looked at the martial arts master like he was stupid. "That's all he needs."  
  
That was interesting to King Kai. 'No wonder he thought I was being pushy. He knows his limits.' King Kai shook his head. "Well then. You should be pretty advanced by now if Piccolo trained you. Oh, I forgot to ask. Who killed you?"  
  
"Frieza." That simple, straight-forward word conveyed all the hate Gohan had for the alien.  
  
"You fought Frieza?" King Kai's eyes widened. This boy wasn't any older than ten at the very most, and he was fighting the greatest evil in the universe.  
  
Gohan nodded. "While I was fighting him, he said something about someone coming to Earth, so I have to get back and help."  
  
"Well Gohan. I have a few tests for you to pass before I promise anything. Are you up for it?"  
  
"You bet!" Gohan eagerly rose from his spot on the cracked ground. He almost fell from the unexpected extra weight, but he found it was easy to balance after a minute or so.  
  
"Your first test is to make me laugh."  
  
"What? What kind of test is that?"  
  
"I don't train anyone without a sense of humor," King Kai said with an evil smile.  
  
"You trained Piccolo, didn't you?"  
  
King Kai had nothing to say to that. Piccolo HAD cured King Kai's extremely bad sense of humor. Well, the TELLING jokes part anyway.  
  
"I did. But you have to make me laugh. Get on with it. I don't have all day."  
  
Gohan looked around. "How come it isn't dark out? When does day end here anyway?" He looked at King Kai, who was holding a hand over his mouth. "Are you going to train me or what? You have an eternity, but I have to get back. They'll need me." He tapped his foot. "Fine. Since you won't train me, I at least wanted to ask you why Princess Snake is so bad. She's a really nice lady."  
  
That cracked him up. King Kai howled with laughter as he doubled over.  
  
Gohan was getting a little mad. "Stop that! She IS! She gave me dinner, and let me have a nap, and she even gave me cookies! I like her."  
  
King Kai realized the little Saiyan was serious. "You're not kidding," he said, more to himself than Gohan.  
  
"No, I'm not," Gohan said stubbornly. "And I can't just wait around here forever. Are you going to train me?"  
  
"I'm still trying to decide. Come here for a minute." Gohan appeared at his side in an instant. King Kai was mildly surprised that Gohan could walk with such ease in ten times his own gravity. 'Maybe it's because he doesn't have weighted clothes.'  
  
Something caught the trainer's eye. "Turn around." Puzzled, Gohan did as he was requested. "Hmm." He grabbed Gohan's tail and pulled gently on it.  
  
Gohan turned so he could see it. "It grew back again? Man! How am I gonna get rid of that thing?" Fed up with it, he wrapped it around his waist like all the other Saiyans he'd met.  
  
"Gohan, why do you have a tail?"  
  
"I think it's because Dad was a Saiyan. That's what everyone tells him anyway. So I guess that makes me one too." He shrugged. "I can change."  
  
"Change?"  
  
"Yeah. Into a giant monkey. You know, the big apes that run around with killer breath and destroy things. Only Saiyans can do that, and they need a tail. And for some reason, mine keeps growing back!" His tail twitched in annoyance. "I think I'll just keep it. Why bother cutting it off if there's no moon?"  
  
King Kai was speechless. Gohan probably hadn't known there was other life in the universe two years ago, and he had pretty much summed up the anatomy of his father's side.  
  
He reached for the hem of Gohan's shirt and was surprised to find the clothes were already weighed. "Where did you get these?"  
  
"Princess Snake gave them to me before I left," Gohan replied, shrugging the top off. it fell to the ground with a thud. "Man. They're heavier than they felt." He also took off his hat and nearly fell again from the sheer weight difference. "Her and my mom have the same taste in clothes. Even though the hat doesn't have great-Grandpa's dragonball on it."  
  
"Hmm." King Kai was thoughtful. "Then you don't need anything from me." He watched Gohan dig through the folds of the shirt. "What are you doing?"  
  
Gohan triumphantly held up a bag. "They didn't get squished!" He sat down and pulled out a handful of chocolate-chip cookies. He noticed King Kai watching him and held out one. "Want some?" he asked through all the crumbs in his mouth.  
  
"Where did you get them?" King Kai asked as he studied the treat.  
  
"Princess Snake." He reached in for another, then offered one to a monkey that was sniffing around.  
  
"No, Bubbles! Don't eat that!" King Kai snatched it away from his pet.  
  
"Hey! If you wanted another one, you shoulda just asked. I have plenty," Gohan said strictly.  
  
"There's sleepy grass in them though," King Kai argued, keeping the cookie out of reach. He sniffed one to make sure, then looked confused. "What? She didn't put sleepy grass in your food?"  
  
"Whatever that is, probably not. She's my friend." Gohan grabbed his food back and gave it to Bubbles.  
  
"Who knew?" King Kai wondered aloud. "Well, Gohan. As soon as you're done with that, I want you to put your clothes back on and get ready. Your training starts today."  
  
"Really?" Gohan nearly knocked the man over in his enthusiasm. "You mean it?"  
  
"Yes. Now hurry up." King Kai turned his back to make sure Bubbles wasn't affected by the candy. When he turned back Gohan was putting his hat back on, all traces of food gone. "I knew I should've stocked up after Goku left," King Kai moaned.  
  
"I'm ready," Gohan announced, securing the hat so it wouldn't fall off.  
  
"Well, you've already met your first partner. This exercise is to get you used to the gravity here. You'll need to catch Bubbles."  
  
"Can we play tag?" Gohan asked hopefully.  
  
"Sure. But you're it."  
  
"Yeah! All right Bubbles. One... two... THREE!" Gohan dashed after the startled ape.  
  
Bubbles ran, looking behind him, until he couldn't see Gohan anymore. He slowed down and plowed right into the boy. Gohan reached for him, but Bubbles motored away.  
  
"Cool! He's got overdrive!" Gohan resumed the chase, catching him in a few minutes. "Tag, you're it!"  
  
Bubbles was completely confused at the concept of this new game, but he did realize Gohan had caught him. But why was he running away now?  
  
Gohan stopped a few feet away. "Hey. What's up? Why isn't he playing?"  
  
"I think you have to teach him Gohan. He doesn't know how to play tag," King Kai suggested.  
  
Gohan nodded. "Okay, now Bubbles," he said in a talking-to-little-kids voice. "This is easy. When I touch you, you have to catch me. Then we do it again." Bubbles didn't really understand him. He scratched his head and sat down. "Ah, he's no fun."  
  
"Maybe your next partner will be better to play with," King Kai said, smiling. It was a nice change to have a young boy instead of a grown man. It was definitely more entertaining. King Kai whistled and shouted, "Gregory!" Gohan ducked his head in time to avoid getting hit by the little spot of light.  
  
The cricket stopped about six inches in front of King Kai. "You called?"  
  
"Yes. This is Gohan. Gohan, this is Gregory. He'll help you with the next exercise."  
  
"Yup. You have to hit me on the noggin with that hammer."  
  
"What hammer?" Gohan looked around. "Where?"  
  
"Stay here and I'll get one." King Kai passed the one he gave Goku and went down a few more. This one wasn't the heaviest, but it wasn't behind by far. It was heavy, even for him, and he had to drag it out to his new student.  
  
Sweating with the effort, King Kai dropped the handle with a gasp as it hit his foot. Gohan picked it up with ease. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Fine," King Kai grunted. "Now, go Gregory."  
  
The brown insect disappeared into a point of light. Gohan hefted the hammer onto his shoulder. "Where's the bug?" His hat slipped back, catching around his throat. Added with the weight of the hammer, Gohan toppled backward. "Oww," he groaned, picking himself up. He fixed his hat and scowled, looking much like Vegeta in that moment. "All right. Let's try this again."  
  
King Kai yawned. "This might take a while. I think a nap is a good idea."  
  
Gregory appeared in front of Gohan. "Giving up already, small fry?"  
  
"No way. I just think I might hurt you." Gohan weighed the hammer in his hands. "This could bruise at the least."  
  
"You won't even touch me," Gregory said. He felt a surge of déjå vu, then remembered he'd told that to pretty much everyone who'd come by.  
  
"Whatever you say," Gohan said, putting the weapon on his shoulder. "Ready?"  
  
"See ya," the cricket said before taking off again.  
  
After a few minutes of chasing, Gohan plopped down under a tree and put his head on his hand. He used the handle of the hammer to write out his math equation. "Let's see, he's just as fast as I am, and he's three feet..." He drifted off as he figured it out. "Aha!"  
  
"You understand this stuff?" It was Gregory, behind Gohan and looking over his work.  
  
"Yeah. It's easy." Gohan tightened his grip and swung, hitting the unsuspecting Gregory squarely on the head. "You see, my mom wanted me to be a great scholar, so she taught me all kinds of stuff," he explained as he carried the unconscious cricket to King Kai. "I think he might need a band-aid when he wakes up," Gohan suggested, holding out his injured partner.  
  
King Kai accepted Gregory, thinking. 'He's already so strong. How much can I do for him?' He got out of his chair, a little stunned at Gohan's obvious power. "Excuse me. I have to go to the Hall For Infinite Losers. Some arrangements need to be made."  
  
**============================================**  
  
Chi Chi collapsed into a chair, coffee in her hand. Usually she drank tea, but that wasn't strong enough for this. No one knew if a heart attack victim could be wished back. She stirred it carefully, paying close attention to what she was doing. But that didn't take her mind off her friend, or her son.  
  
She sighed and sat back, eyes closed. She heard the door creak open, and she just thought, 'Not now Papa. I just want to be alone.' But the footsteps weren't that of the Ox King. They were too light and cautious.  
  
Chi Chi rose from her seat. "Who's there?" she demanded, the fighter in her looking and listening carefully. "Come here."  
  
Piccolo appeared silently in front of her, arms crossed. Chi Chi suppressed the urge to run and glared at him. "What do you want? I don't have anything and Goku's not here."  
  
"I'm not here for a social visit with Goku," Piccolo sneered. "I have something from Gohan."  
  
That didn't improve her opinion of him. "You're the monster who kidnapped my baby, aren't you?" She wasn't afraid of him anymore. Now she was pissed. "Now what do you want from this family? You killed my husband and stole my son."  
  
"He's a warrior, not a baby," Piccolo snapped. "And I want nothing to do with you. It's only because Gohan asked me to come here that I did at all. Now do you want this or not, because I have better things to do."  
  
"What did you do with Gohan?"  
  
"Nothing. He's fine. Now answer me. Do you want this or not?" Piccolo was oblivious to the fact that she was just as brave as Gohan. Not to mention she was getting ready to kill him again.  
  
"Yes," Chi Chi said hesitantly. Piccolo tossed the note on the table and waited for it to skid to a stop right in front of her.  
  
"Everyone will be back soon. When they return, I'll be back for the dragonball." He swirled his cape around him and turned to leave. "And I think that there will be little protest from Goku."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Chi Chi demanded, but Piccolo was already gone. She clenched her fist. "If you've done one thing to him..." she threatened under her breath. Then she turned her attention to the folded price of paper on the table.  
  
She picked it up with shaking hands. It was clearly Gohan's handwriting, and addressed to her. She carefully unfolded it, expecting the worst.  
  
  
  
_Hey Mom,  
  
How ya doing? I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I'm sorry I didn't get to tell you I was going to King Kai's. I had to leave before I got the chance. I hope we can spend a lot of time together when I get back. You, me and Dad, all together again. It'll be great! Can't wait to see you again.  
  
Love you Mom,  
Gohan_  
  
  
  
Chi Chi shook her head. "I do worry Gohan. But I just want you home," she whispered.  
  
The Ox King, well aware that his daughter was upset, stuck his head in the kitchen. "Hey Chi Chi."  
  
She jumped. "Don't you people know how to knock!" Then she realized who she was yelling at. "Oh, hi Papa. Sorry about that."  
  
"Who were you talking about?" He sat down across from her.  
  
"Piccolo was here. He gave me a letter from Gohan." She handed him the note.  
  
The Ox King was very confused. "Chi Chi! Piccolo was dead. How'd he get this?" Then he read it. "And King Kai was the trainer that Goku had when he died."  
  
"WHAT!" Chi Chi's eyes snapped up. "What did you say?!"  
  
'Oops,' the Ox King thought. "Now Chi Chi, calm down. Think about this."  
  
"How can you ask me to calm down? All you people are telling me that Gohan is fine, and then I come to find out he's dead! That's NOT fine to me!"  
  
"Well, when to think about it, if he's dead then nothing can hurt him." The look in his daughter's eyes made him regret that statement.  
  
Chi Chi grabbed a frying pan off the counter, ignoring the hot grease that nearly splashed on her head. She waved it in his direction and was so angry she couldn't say anything.  
  
The Ox King grabbed her wrists and held them until she gave up trying to fight him. After twenty minutes of having his hands clenched, it hurt to open them again.  
  
Chi Chi went over to the viewscreen and started banging on it again. She heard a sizzling sound, then the screen went completely black.  
  
"No way! You damn machine! Work!" She kicked the base of it and shouted some more.  
  
"Do you know anyone who can fix it?"  
  
"Papa," Chi Chi said with barely concealed annoyance. "The only person on Earth that can fix this is dead, and the other one if floating around somewhere in space!" She took deep breaths to try and keep herself under control, but it wasn't working. She felt like she was dealing with Goku. 'If he suggests using tape, I'll kill him.'  
  
"Good point. Well, let's hope we can do this ourselves. You up for it?" Chi Chi's only reply was a groan.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Vegeta appeared in the alternate dimension. Goku stopped his attack, and Krillin looked behind him to see what was up.  
  
"Vegeta? What are you doing here?"  
  
"Getting rid of some snoopers," Vegeta grumbled back to the bald man. Goku's hair faded to black, and he stepped in front of his best friend.  
  
"Well, if you told us what was going on with Bulma, we wouldn't have to snoop around. But if that's the only way to get information, then I'll do it."  
  
Vegeta scowled. "You would've found out sooner or later. It's a goddamn ship! Living with someone for two months makes it kinda hard to keep a secret, don't you think?"  
  
"Yeah, but how long has this been going on?"  
  
"About two weeks."  
  
Krillin looked up. "You've been able to stand each other for two weeks? And then get paly-walsy too?" It blew his mind. "I didn't think they had it in 'em."  
  
Goku shook his head. "This is a little out of the ordinary."  
  
"Goku, we've been off the map of weirdness since before we found out you were an alien. Anything supposedly normal is out of the ordinary for us. This is just plain strange."  
  
"That isn't my fault," Goku said. "But this is getting out of hand. Vegeta, exactly what is wrong with Bulma?"  
  
"What do you mean what wrong with Bulma? She's with him! Don't you mean what's NOT wrong with her?"  
  
Goku slapped Krillin on the back of the head. "How dense ARE you? They're not together!"  
  
"How can you tell?"  
  
"I've only known her since I was seven. Believe me. They're NOT an item."  
  
Vegeta was utterly confused by the conversation. "Whatever. Anyway Kakorrot, her father died."  
  
Once Krillin recovered enough to speak, he said, "And why did she tell YOU? I mean, she HATES you."  
  
"Well, apparently she doesn't as much as you think. But I couldn't sleep when she kept whining, so when I told her to shut up, she yelled at me saying she had a good reason. I don't get it. I never even knew my father. What's all the fuss about?'  
  
"That's the point. She was close to her father. She knew him almost better than he knew himself," Krillin began defensively. Goku took over Krillin's speech and quickly explained Bulma's relationship with the famous scientist. When he finished, Vegeta had an idea of what he was feeling. Thankful for that, he smiled inwardly.  
  
"I need to talk to you later Kakorrot. Alone." Vegeta vanished from the training ground.  
  
"What was that all about?" Krillin asked once he was gone.  
  
"I have no idea. I think hanging around Bulma's warped his mind."  
  
"It would warp anyone's mind. Vegeta's no different in that class."  
  
"True, but I need to talk to both of them later. Come on. Let's get back to training."  
  
They didn't get the chance. A violent rock of the ship brought them both crashing back into their bodies, which weren't where they'd left them.  
  
Goku painfully opened his eyes and looked around. Vegeta was against the far wall, and Bulma was streaked in red and holding desperately onto the controls. Krillin was on his head against another wall, and attempting to straighten. Goku pushed himself up and stumbled over to Bulma.  
  
The cut on her forehead wasn't good. She pushed her hair back out of her face and touched bone. She ignore the nausea that ran through her and shivered at the feeling. "This is not a good thing."  
  
"Bulma, are you okay?" Goku was holding into the seat with a death grip to keep himself from being tossed around like a rag doll.  
  
"Good enough to get us out of this alive, but I need some help," Bulma replied, getting around what looked like a boulder, only twenty times bigger.  
  
"What do you want me to do?"  
  
"Get Vegeta and Krillin over here now," she ordered, barely making it around another one.  
  
Goku floated just above the floor as it bucked under him, another impact sending the ship into yet more asteroids. Vegeta and Krillin had figured this out and stayed put while the ship rocked back and forth. Bulma took another hard blow to the head, but set her jaw and tried to focus her fading sight on the rocks.  
  
"Guys! Come here! I think we have a problem!"  
  
Krillin obeyed instantly, and Vegeta did after another meteor hit the window. "Bulma?" Krillin asked, looking at her. Her face was a mess: her blue hair stained red and she was squinting.  
  
"Krillin, Goku, go to the closet and get out the space suits. Vegeta, I need you with me." The boys didn't hesitate. Goku raced for the suits while Vegeta hovered by her side. "Now. Go to the weapons. I need you to blow up any of the smaller rocks that might get in my way, and protect the guys. They're going out on the roof and give us some extra power. I think I can get us out of this if you do it right."  
  
Goku was finishing getting suited up. He poked himself in the eye with a microphone inside his helmet. "What's this?'  
  
"That's so we can talk while you're outside."  
  
Krillin put his helmet on a little more carefully. "So, what do we do?"  
  
**============================================**  
  
"I can't believe I'm trusting those morons," Bulma muttered as she collapsed into the seat. "Or him."  
  
Vegeta resisted growling at her. The blows to her head hadn't affected her attitude too much. He glared at her before he turned her attention to the controls.  
  
"So, what did you want us to do again?" That was Goku over the loudspeaker next to Bulma. She nearly jumped out of her skin at the unexpected sound.  
  
"Just hold on for a few minutes," Bulma snarled, getting between two extremely large asteroids. "I'll tell you in a minute."  
  
Vegeta got rid of some others that were threatening to float their way. He had to admit he was impressed. Bulma had to be in a lot of pain, probably half blind and definitely a little ticked by Goku's stupidity in a serious situation, yet she was totally in control of herself. And them for the time being.  
  
"But I'm bored out here."  
  
"I don't care!" Another meteor was avoided then blown to dust. "Deal with it. You won't be when we get into the meteor shower."  
  
Silence, then, "I am stuck on Band-aid brand 'cause germs don't stick on me."  
  
"What's he doing?" Vegeta wondered aloud.  
  
"He's being an idiot," Bulma replied. "Goku! Shut up! I can't concentrate."  
  
"Who needs to concentrate?"  
  
"Someone with a brain. Krillin, why can't you shut him up?" Bulma rolled her eyes and regretted it. Her head hurt beyond imagination, and Goku's so-called "singing" was NOT helping at all.  
  
"Have you tried when you're stuck under what looks like a brick the size of Manhattan?" Krillin finally got that sentence out between grunts and groans.  
  
"I'm not even going to ask." Bulma finally stopped the ship in what seemed like a clear space. She sighed and sat back, nursing the side of her head that wasn't cut open. "You didn't happen to bring any Tylenol with you, did you Goku?"  
  
"I don't think so, but whatever that is, I'm sure I have something better."  
  
Bulma barely resisted hitting herself on the forehead in a "duh" movement. "So, what DO you have?"  
  
"You know that bag next to my clothes? There's a senzu bean in it. Break it in half and eat it."  
  
Bulma came alive at the mention on Korin's magic beans. "You brought them with you?"  
  
"Of course. I was training in 100 times gravity, then I fought the strongest guy in the universe. Who wouldn't bring them with him?"  
  
"Goku, sometimes you amaze me. You're so stupid when it comes to anything ordinary, but when something completely strange pops up, you're ready for it." She stood and took a step, then a wave of dizziness hit and she fell back into the chair. "Perfect."  
  
Vegeta glanced at her. "What are you doing woman?"  
  
"Don't even start that again. Get me the little bag by Goku's clothes." He looked at her blankly, and she closed her eyes. With much effort she added, "Please." He didn't move, or even blink. "Dammit Vegeta, get the bag!"  
  
He shook his head like he was coming out of a trance. "You say something?"  
  
Bulma tried to scream but was too tired. "Vegeta. Get that stupid, goddamn bag from over by Goku's stuff before I do it myself, then KILL you."  
  
Again he just looked at her. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"I swear Vegeta, once I am able to get up I'll make hell sound like a nice place to live!"  
  
"What's hell?'  
  
"I feel like I'm dealing with Goku here," she said as she rolled off the seat and steadied herself on hands and knees. "You're both so damn stupid. It must be the Saiyan blood or something. But at least Goku knows how to follow an order."  
  
Vegeta didn't like being compared to Goku, so he tossed the bag at her feet. "Happy now?"  
  
"I will be as soon as I eat this." She did as Goku had told her and popped half of it in her mouth. She never realized why the fighters looked forward to the senzu so much until now. She not only felt better, she could see and the pain felt less. "All right!"  
  
If Vegeta hadn't experienced the power in the beans himself, he wouldn't've been astounded at the change in her. Now she sat back and started up the engines again. Vegeta shrugged and took ahold of the weapon's controls.  
  
"Goku? Krillin? Get ready. Once we get in the meteor field, we'll need extra power from you guys. I don't care how you do it, get us out of there when I say." Bulma kept her eyes glued to the window. "Vegeta, you'll have keep an extra eye out. I'll do my best to get around them, but you might have to do some quick shooting. Got that?"  
  
"Yeah, sure," Goku said. "But I'm still bored."  
  
"How about helping Krillin?" Bulma suggested sardonically. "He's been moaning and groaning for the past ten minutes. How about giving him a hand?"  
  
"He's got two of his own."  
  
Bulma growled and fought to keep herself under control before she killed someone, or blew up the ship. "Goku, that's like asking to help him."  
  
"O," Goku drawled. "I always wondered what that meant. Yeah, sure."  
  
Bulma rolled her eyes, this time without pain. "I don't belive I'm using him to help save my life."  
  
"YOUR life! What the hell are you worried about? I'm the one out here with him!" Krillin sputtered. Bulma figured he'd gotten whatever it was off of him.  
  
"Are you okay Krillin?" Bulma asked patiently.  
  
"No thanks to any of you people. But fine." He dusted himself off and growled at Goku, then grinned. "But I think it's past Goku's bedtime."  
  
Bulma jumped out of her chair, almost fast enough for Vegeta to miss. "Krillin, don't even think about it!" she screamed into the speaker. "Unless you want to kill us!" Then she thought about what she just said. "Forget that. That's just a motive. Don't do it!"  
  
"All right," Krillin said dejectedly. "I promise."  
  
Bulma sat back down, on the alert for both Krillin's voice and the chunks flying past.  
  
"What was he going to do?" Vegeta's eyes strayed from the lasers to Bulma.  
  
"He was going to sing Goku to sleep. It would be a little harder now than when he was 7 years old, but it would work." Bulma ground her teeth and asked the boys above, "Are you guys ready?"  
  
Then she stopped. Blinked. Shook her head and turned around to see Vegeta was still in his spot, hands ready for a lighting-fast reflex.  
  
"Goku, what are you doing in here?! This is getting dangerous!" Bulma couldn't see him, but if Vegeta was where he belonged, then the breathing behind her could only come from Goku.  
  
"I had to go to the bathroom?" he suggested meekly.  
  
"Right. You can go AFTER we do this. OKAY?"  
  
"But I have to go."  
  
Bulma rolled her eyes. "Goku, get up there, now. Before I have to pull out my secret weapon, and I know you won't like it." Her hand balled around something she had hidden in her palm.  
  
"But I really have to go!" Goku whined in protest.  
  
"You asked for it." Bulma jabbed it at him, stopping a few inches from his shoulder. His eyes widened and he suddenly wasn't so interested in going to the bathroom. He was running for his life instead.  
  
"What was that anyway?" Vegeta couldn't help wondering what could scare that fighter.  
  
Bulma tossed the needle up in the air and caught it like it was a Dino Cap. Then she showed it to Vegeta and grinned. "Works like a charm. If everything else fails..." She flipped it to him and gave him a mock salute. "Now that we got that out of the way, let's get ready to rock and roll." How true her words were.  
  
"So, how'd you convince her to let you go?" Krillin asked with a hint of humor showing in his voice.  
  
"I didn't," Goku groaned. "Man, I gotta GO! Like yesterday. Can we hurry this up?"  
  
"All right guys. Which way are you facing?"  
  
"Huh?" Goku, obviously.  
  
"Why is it NOW that he has to bring out all the stupidity he's been hiding for years?" Bulma groaned to herself. "Krillin? Which way?"  
  
"Toward the engines. Why? I thought that was the right way."  
  
"For once you ARE right. But I want you turn around for a second and see what we're getting into."  
  
Krillin obeyed, grabbed Goku's waist and spun him around. "Holy...." they both began, but couldn't finish. Goku kept a firm grip on the handholds they'd dug out earlier and looked at the flying rocks.  
  
"Good, now, imagine what one of those could do if you mess up," Bulma ordered. She could hear their gulps at that image. "All right. Now, when I say, give us an extra boost somehow, straight out from where the engines are. They should be a little off center, to the left I think. Yeah, to the left."  
  
"Your OTHER left, Goku," Krillin told his alien best friend. Bulma groaned again and let her head drop onto the "dashboard" in front of her. She ignored the pain that coursed through her head and neck, then sat up. "That's right. Now just wait."  
  
"Here we go. Everyone be on alert," Bulma said as she fired up the engines to half power. "And now... ignition!" She braced herself for the acceleration, but it wasn't as fast as before. "Great. We're losing power."  
  
"Hmm?" Vegeta looked up for a minute at the comment and an outraged cry from above made his sensitive ears hurt.  
  
"Damn, Vegeta! How about paying attention!" Vegeta looked back and saw a Destructo Disc carving through a meteor, then through a few more. "I can't keep stuff out of the engines AND do your job for you!"  
  
"How's there stuff in the engines? They're inside!" Bulma gave a quick glance to the printouts, having to look at them repeatedly while constantly going around, under, and sometimes even through chunks of iron and metal flying around at nearly the speed of sound.  
  
"There's still a giant hole where you were fixing them back on Namek," Krillin observed. "There's all kind of shit mixed up down there."  
  
"Well then get it out nimrod!" Bulma cast her eyes upward and barely missed another potential danger to the ship. "This isn't good."  
  
"No kidding. Two are already down." That was, surprisingly, Goku. "It won't do any good to go down there now. They're already too far gone."  
  
"How the hell can you tell from there?" Bulma demanded, momentarily forgetting that he was a Saiyan. "Never mind," she said once common sense came back to her. "But how is this thing going with two engines down? And where did Goku learn to tell?"  
  
"I learned how to turn on the TV," Goku said a little smugly. "But how can you be making fun of me and still driving this thing?"  
  
"Goku, I'm sorry to tell you, but making fun of you is like breathing. It's nothing at all. But how long do you think we've got with the last one?"  
  
"Almost out," Krillin reported. "Then what?"  
  
"I'm putting it to full power. When we get out of this, I can always land and fix them AGAIN. But I'll need you guys to get it moving. I don't care how, just do it in two minutes." Bulma calculated in her head from what Krillin was now relaying to her. "Even Goku can tell time. This should work."  
  
Even though this was nothing like a battle, Vegeta felt his pulse getting faster and he wore his trademark smirk. This was exciting, even if the opponents weren't alive. They had to be outsmarted and shot down, the latter something Vegeta enjoyed very much.  
  
Bulma steeled herself as another asteroid bounced off the side of the ship. "Ready guys?"  
  
"As I'll ever be," came Krillin's muttered reply.  
  
"All right. Now!" Bulma cut the power and gripped the seat harder to concentrate. Instead of narrowing her eyes against the pain in her head, she opened them wider to see, shouting out directions at the alien vessel. Vegeta was busy shooting at lightning speed, and Bulma was thankful that she put a Saiyan at the weapons. His quick response and love of shooting things probably saved their lives through this.  
  
Vegeta could hear Krillin tiring out as the ship powered through the meteor shower. "Come on cueball," he urged under his breath. He hadn't heard Goku join in yet and was wondering what could be taking so long.  
  
"There's a planet up there," Bulma said between instructions. "We can land there if you hurry it up."  
  
"You take over Goku," Krillin said. There was a thump of the roof, like Krillin had collapsed.  
  
Vegeta straightened sharply. He could feel Goku's ki skyrocket off the charts as he powered up. Vegeta braced himself for the acceleration, and Bulma's death grip on the seat made her already prepared. The ship reared like it got kicked and shot off, Bulma barely able to direct it. Vegeta was having trouble shooting down things; as soon as he saw them, they were behind. He mumbled something under his breath and took his hands from the controls.  
  
When the ship finally stopped, Bulma couldn't release the chair and was reduced to asking Vegeta for help. He couldn't do much for her because at the sudden stop, he went careening through the air to land on the door that had separated from Bulma's room. Krillin eased himself back into the ship while Goku just fell in through a hole in the ceiling.  
  
Vegeta picked himself slightly off the floor and dragged his limp body over to the part of the door still attached to the wall to pull himself up. Krillin went to help Bulma, who was squirming when she could scratch an itch because her hands were still out of service. Goku just laid on the floor and made no attempt to move. He only wore a content smile and let his head drop back so it was resting on his arm.  
  
"Jeez Bulma. I think we need an extra-strength crowbar to get your hands off here," Krillin grunted as he tugged at her fingers. "Plus Vegeta."  
  
At his name the warrior looked up and snarled, one leg bent unnaturally under him. He limped over to Bulma and held out his hand. "For you," he said with such sarcasm and sugary sweetness it could be poured over pancakes.  
  
Krillin hesitantly took the remaining half of the senzu bean and brought it to within an inch's distance of Bulma's mouth. He tried to force his hand farther, but it wouldn't. He even pushed it with his other hand, but no go. Vegeta rolled his eyes and snatched it from the bald man. He popped it in Bulma's mouth and hurridly wiped his gloves on his pants.  
  
Bulma could instantly free her hands and flexed blood back into them. "Was that so hard? HE could do it," Bulma snarled once she was out of the seat.  
  
"I- I- I dunno." Krillin shrugged. "I couldn't do it."  
  
Bulma's steel-toed boots connected with the monk's shin. Krillin circled the room, howling, in a demented dance of pain.  
  
"Man, where'd she get to be so violent?" Krillin muttered as he rubbed his leg. "Neither of her parents are like that."  
  
"Hel-lo! I spent most of my time with you and Goku when I was growing up!"  
  
"That's not an excuse. The fist time you met Goku you tried to shoot him!"  
  
"Mmm," Goku agreed drowsily. "Little ouchies."  
  
Bulma ignored his reminiscing and turned to Krillin. Before she could say anything, Vegeta asked, "You tried to SHOOT a Saiyan?"  
  
"Well he was attacking me!" Bulma flung up her hands in frustration. "And we didn't exactly KNOW he was a Saiyan. I just thought he was a weird little kid with a lot of strength and a tail."  
  
"I wasn't attacking you, Bulma. I was attacking the monster that tried to steal my fish."  
  
Bulma growled and flipped Goku over. "Shut up!"  
  
"Ow," Goku said with no feeling behind the word. "I was comfortable."  
  
Krillin raised an eyebrow. His best friend had been half on his head in a weird situp. He doubted Goku was comfortable like that, but then again, it WAS Goku. He could sleep anywhere, under almost any condition.  
  
"O, well. Now that we're out of there, I'm free to kick your ass."  
  
"After I go to the bathroom," Goku muttered back, sitting up. "What are you so mad about anyway?"  
  
"Well, first off you almost KILLED me you moron!" Bulma snapped. She felt a little woozy and sat down, still yelling at him. She put a hand to her head and found that though the injury didn't hurt, it was still there. Finally she quieted and slowly stood, looking for a hand-held mirror.  
  
"You should get that looked at," Krillin advised as he watched Goku retreat to the bathroom.  
  
"No shit Sherlock. Which is WHY I'm looking for a mirror. So I can fix it."  
  
"You're not a doctor." Krillin was thinking the very same thing, but it was Vegeta who said it. He rubbed his forearm where it had been hit and she'd helped "fix" it for emphasis.  
  
Bulma met him glare for glare. "Maybe not a CERTIFIED doctor, but who the hell else is gonna mend you guys? I've been hanging around these two since I was thirteen, so I've had lots of practice!"  
  
"How old are you now?"  
  
"Vegeta, the first thing about Earth women I'm going to teach you is NEVER ask their age or their weight."  
  
"Why not? It's just something for me to know."  
  
Bulma restrained herself from strangling the Saiyan. She smiled cooly and almost calmly. "You'll find out when we get there."  
  
"Vegeta, if you really wanna know..." Krillin dodged Bulma's fist and caught it on the backswing. For one of the only times in his life he used his strength against her and kept a firm grip on her wrists. "AS I was saying, before I was so RUDELY interrupted, Bulma was 13 when she met Goku, and then he was 7." He shrugged at Bulma's shocked face. "I don't feel like doing the math right now." He turned back to Vegeta. "And now Goku is 28."  
  
"You don't know for sure that he was 7!" Bulma said when she was released. "That's what his grandfather told him, and the guy was a crazy old coot!"  
  
Vegeta was writing numbers in the air with his fingers. "Well, right after he was born...about a year..." He muttered a little more and added something else. "Well he WAS 7 when you found him," Vegeta announced. "Now, about your age..."  
  
Bulma shook her fist at Krillin. "O, you better watch it tiny man! I'll kill you!"  
  
Krillin flexed his fingers and grinned. "Don't count on it. Remember I can always hold you back."  
  
Bulma got in his face and leaned over. "Then. Why Haven't. You," she hissed menacingly.  
  
Krillin didn't back down. "I didn't want to hurt you," he said plainly.  
  
"Hurt me? You thought you were going to hurt me?! O, no! This is almost funny. The little lamb thinks he's a lion!" She held in a laugh as Krillin tried to stare her down. He'd gone too far to quit now.  
  
Goku came back to find his two best friends having it out. 'What's gotten into Krillin?' he wondered as the short man matched Bulma insult for insult. 'I think hanging around her even gave him an advantage. He knows everything she usually does. She's totally not ready for this.' Bulma was getting mad as she found herself running out of rude comments and worse jokes while Krillin rambled on like he was just getting warmed up. Which he probably was.  
  
"Krillin, did you EVER have hair?" Bulma finally demanded. When Krillin nodded, she asked, "Then what color was it?"  
  
Krillin was speechless for a second. As soon as he'd grown a full head of hair, he'd had to shave it. He could see the growing laughter on Bulma's face and he plucked a hair from his eyebrow and held it up for inspection. "Black," he finally answered.  
  
"I'll remember that when I deliver your toupee."  
  
"Well, since you just told me what my Christmas present is, I guess I don't need to hide the wrinkle cream anymore." He clapped his hand over his mouth in mock shock. "Oh, did I just let that slip? Sorry. I knew you wanted it to be a surprise."  
  
Goku moved in front of Bulma before she could do anything too stupid. By the time he got there, though, she was already moving and banged into him. Goku stumbled back against the wall, dazed. Krillin's eyes widened as a gun appeared from apparently nowhere and shoved in his face. That wasn't what made him pay attention. As Chi Chi had learned to power up, Bulma had also apparently mastered the skill. It wasn't visible, but what had been barely there before shot up to hover a little under his own.  
  
'Guess she learned something from us after all,' Krillin thought as the gun cocked.  
  
"Say that again," Bulma seethed. Krillin gulped and felt for something behind his back.  
  
"Why? You heard it the first time," he said, hand closing around what he'd been searching for. "But if you insist, I got you wrinkle cream." Then he ducked and struck with the hand behind his back, the missing sink pipe knocking the gun from her hand.  
  
Vegeta was lost between looking shocked or smug. "Do you need the wrinkle cream at 34?" he asked pleasantly. Meanwhile, he was thinking, 'They were right. If I didn't know better I would've thought she was a low-class Saiyan.' At that he glared at Goku, who immediately went whiter than a sheet.  
  
Goku reached over and tapped Bulma on the shoulder. She turned around in a "What?" position, but her eyes followed his pointing finger to Vegeta. It was then the Saiyan prince realized that they weren't looking AT him. They were staring PAST him. 


	4. Part 4

Vegeta turned and saw nothing different, except the stars were gone and the sky looked like it had craters in it. He gasped as he realized they were set up for a nice collision with the meteor.  
  
Krillin, fight with Bulma already forgotten, said in a choked voice, "Vegeta, I think you missed one."  
  
Vegeta was too shocked to insult him back. He only stared at the chunks of rock that was threatening to bash the space vessel to tiny fragments and scatter them all the way back to Namek.  
  
Bulma pulled out of it first and shook her head. She immediately scrambled for the controls and tried to figure out a way around it. "It's too big. I can't do anything. Moving forward will just make up crash sooner." Her shoulders sagged and she collapsed into the seat, exhausted.  
  
Vegeta was working on trying to get into Goku's spacesuit. "What are you DOING?" Krillin asked after watching the older Saiyan dress.  
  
"Trying to get us out of this mess," Vegeta snapped back, zipping it up with none of the problems Goku had had earlier. "I'm going to drill a hole through it and someone else will have to use the weapons to help." As much as he hated to admit that he couldn't do it alone, and as long as the last part of the sentence took to get out, the boys had a good idea of what he was going to try to do.  
  
As Vegeta climbed out through the hole in the roof, Krillin manned the lasers. He grinned; the sugar high that convinced him to start a fight with Bulma was still raging. He grasped the joystick that Bulma had put in specifically for that use and pressed the red button on the side. Blue beams of light sprang from the front of the screen and to where the crosshairs met on the crater in front of him.  
  
"Not until I do," Vegeta snapped through the intercom. "All right? THEN you can aim." He sounded snobbish and arrogant, even with his voice distorted and fuzzy through the speakers. "Woman, get ready.  
  
"I am, monkey man," Bulma said easily. Insults to her came easily once she had something to work off of, something she just figured out after Krillin. "The question is are YOU ready?"  
  
"Just do as I say," Vegeta said back  
  
"Backseat driver," Bulma muttered. "This is going to kill our engines totally you know."  
  
"That's fine. For now, just concentrate on living."  
  
"After we clear this thing I'll take it down nice and easy," Bulma said confidently. "Then we'll be able to juice it up even more and get back ahead of schedule." She rubbed her hands together. "O, how I DO love my work. And it's important to pick a career you enjoy."  
  
Krillin rolled his eyes, but between Vegeta and the lasers, a hole just big enough for the ship to fit through was burnt through the moon-sized rock.  
  
"That was close," Bulma said as she watched the stars reappear. She breathed a sigh of relief as Vegeta climbed back in and there was no sign of anything else coming their way. "Nice job you guys."  
  
"No problem," Krillin said grandly. "All in a day's work. You know, killing the strongest guy in the universe, shooting down a huge killer rock, no sweat." Vegeta only grunted and rolled his eyes.  
  
"What the…!" Bulma said as she spotted one remaining shooting star, just as it hit the ship, sending them plummeting to the planet below.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Chi Chi flung herself down in a chair, glaring at the machine from hell. "I give up!"  
  
"Hey! Chi Chi, look at this!" The Ox KIng held up the plug. "All that and this was the problem." He chuckled and straightened. "Imagine that."  
  
She couldn't help but want to strangle her father. "Just plug it in, Papa," she growled, deliberately keeping still so she wouldn't get up and try to kill him.  
  
The Ox King, well aware that his daughter was about to go on a killing spree, grinned and popped the plug in. The screen instantly blinked and a ringing sound could be heard on the other end. "That wasn't so hard." He grinned and sat back with Chi Chi, waiting. And waiting. And, for a change of action, waited some more.  
  
Chi Chi slammed her hands on the computer table that the screen was sitting on. "Why isn't anyone answering?" she demanded.  
  
Her father put his hands on her shoulders and eased her back into her seat. "Come on. Wait a little longer."  
  
While patience wasn't in Chi Chi's vocabulary, the Ox King was willing to wait until someone answered the annoying buzz at the other end. When the screen finally blinked to life, something wasn't right. Diagonally across the screen was a pile of grey rocks and other debris, and what looked like an orange piece of cloth.  
  
"Bulma? Goku? Krillin?" Chi Chi said, first angrily, then again without as much fire behind her words.  
  
When the heap moved, Chi Chi could see Bulma pushing an unconscious Goku off of her and shaking her head, then looking over at the screen. That wouldn't have been unusual if they hadn't been standing at a very odd angle.  
  
"That you Chi Chi?" Bulma asked, climbing woozily over the bodies of Krillin and Vegeta to get to the screen. Then she looked at the way the screen was tilted and realized that, since the telephone was attached to the wall, the whole ship was on its side. She groaned and tilted her head, hair falling into her injury and making her wince.  
  
"Yeah. What happened to you?" Her friend looked like she'd gotten into a fight with one of the guys.  
  
Bulma waved her hand. "Long story." She glanced around and grimaced. "This is gonna take a while," she muttered to herself as she turned her attention back to Chi Chi.  
  
"Bulma? What's going on over there?" There was something not right that the brunette could feel, even through the light years that separated them. Vegeta loomed up out of the masses and Chi Chi screamed.  
  
Bulma lazily turned around and slapped at Vegeta. "Do you mind," she snapped. "I'm TRYING to have a conversation here." She looked at Chi Chi with disgust. "Don't mind him. He's just a jackass."  
  
"Some landing," Vegeta shot back. "Take it down nice and easy my ASS!" He wiped the dirt and grit out of his hair and sneered at her.  
  
Goku sat up and rubbed his head. "Bulma, I think we're experiencing some technical difficulties."  
  
"Wow. He really DID learn how to turn on the television," Bulma muttered. "But yeah, Chi Chi. This isn't a good time. Here, talk to Goku for a minute." She abandoned her friend to inspect the damage done to their only way home. "How the hell do we get OUT of here?" she asked a minute later.  
  
Goku -- who was in the process of assuming his position to talk to his wife -- glanced behind him. "What do you mean? The door's not even there."  
  
"What?" That was Krillin from across the room. "How did that happen?"  
  
"The woman just crashed on a planet." Three guesses who said that. And in a regal, matter-of-fact way.  
  
Chi Chi cleared her throat. "Might I ask again: WHAT is going ON there?"  
  
"Not much dear," Goku said soothingly. "Nothing to worry about. But I think I should help Bulma before she seriously freaks out."  
  
"And you're too late again, Goku," Krillin said as he watched Bulma collapse to her knees.  
  
"Better late than never," Goku shot back. Krillin raised an eyebrow. "Gotta go. Love you," he said, trying to hide his cheerfulness as he blew her a kiss and disconnected them.  
  
He, along with Krillin, cringed at Bulma's cry. She had been staring at the mess in silence for a minute before she started the screaming. When Vegeta looked up from next to her -- after all, he was the one that had to take her down to the ground -- he saw why. Even his jaw had come unhinged at the sight. Pieces of the ship were scattered all over, in every direction, and as far as even Vegeta could see.  
  
"Oh, shit. Ahh, shit," Bulma said, almost laughing as she ran a shaking hand through her hair. "Damn. Aw, man. Shit." She shook her head and closed her eyes for a few seconds. "Aw. Damn. This isn't good."  
  
Vegeta worked his jaw a few times before words came out. "That is the biggest understatement I've ever heard, woman."  
  
Bulma stood, one hand stuck in her hair, the other on her hip, staring out at the various equipment that had separated from the ship in their landing.  
  
Krillin came down beside her. "Can you fix it?"  
  
"If first I can find all the pieces, THEN figure out where half of them came from." Bulma turned her back and shook her head. "Hey Goku," she called up, desperate. "Do we have any Scotch tape up there?"  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma sighed as the boys were sent out AGAIN to look for the parts. "We've been here three weeks and we STILL haven't gotten everything back." Even as Krillin and Goku passed her with another armload of stuff her heart sank.  
  
"How much longer do you think it'll take?" Krillin asked as Vegeta set down whatever he had in his hands.  
  
Bulma wiped the sweat off her forehead and only smeared the grease from her arm. Her hand passed over her stitches that Vegeta had insisted he do before she killed herself with the needle. Unfortunately, the only thing that they had to stitch it up with was fishing line, which was good enough. She eyed the growing pile and her eyes lit up. "Who got this?" she yelled as she held up the green chip laying on the table.  
  
Goku and Krillin looked at each other while Vegeta raised an eyebrow at her new expression. "I did. Why?"  
  
Bulma clutched it in both hands and tried to keep herself from jumping up and down in happiness. "Oh, KAMI! I can't belive you found it!" She threw her arms around Vegeta just as Chi Chi's image appeared behind her. "I could kiss you!"  
  
Goku nudged Krillin with his elbow and the latter's eyes flicked from Vegeta's semi-shocked face to the viewscreen. Krillin held back a laugh as he wandered back outside so they wouldn't hear. Goku grinned as he watched his wife's face pale visibly. Bulma was oblivious to Chi Chi as she released Vegeta, a huge grin plastered on he face.  
  
"You know what guys? Because of this I'm gonna make you a cake. Or brownies!"  
  
"Aw, come on Bulma. Don't make us choose," Goku begged teasingly.  
  
"Fine. I'll make both. Now go and get more like this." She playfully shoved Goku away, looking more happy than Goku could remember.  
  
Vegeta wrinkled his nose. "What's cake?"  
  
Goku grabbed his sleeve and yanked the prince out of the ship. "Come on. I'll explain it to you."  
  
Bulma felt like dancing. This was the only thing that could save the ship if all the parts WEREN'T found. "I can't believe it's still in one piece! I thought it would be broken by now! There IS a Kami!" She was so excited she missed the first polite 'ahem.' And the second. And the third...  
  
Chi Chi was getting frustrated now. "Bulma!" she shouted, hearing the echo in the ship. Something was definitely up with her friend. Last time they talked Bulma was so down she could barely talk, and now she was acting like she was high on sugar.  
  
Bulma stuck her head out to see Chi Chi. "Hi! How are you? What's up?" She disappeared long enough to adjust the settings on the oven before sitting down to talk to Chi Chi.  
  
"What was that all about?" Chi Chi finally sputtered. Bulma giggled like a girl half her age.  
  
"What question do you want me to answer first? That one, why Vegeta is here, or why I'm in such a good mood?" Chi Chi opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Bulma grinned. "You're just like Goku. Read like a book."  
  
Chi Chi shook her head. "Except Goku can't read," she muttered.  
  
"Well then I guess King Kai did teach him something after all," Bulma muttered back, but living with Goku for so long had improved Chi Chi's hearing enough that she cold make out what Bulma said.  
  
"That reminds me..." Chi Chi began menacingly. "I heard Gohan went to train with King Kai."  
  
"Really?" Bulma looked back at her friend. "Then Gohan will already know so much..." She trailed off at the look on the other woman's face. "Chi Chi, stop looking at me like that."  
  
"Not until you tell me why Goku lied to me!"  
  
"When did he lie to you?" Bulma didn't think Goku had it in him to be dishonest, but there WAS something that made you want to tiptoe around Chi Chi.  
  
"The first time he called me!" Chi Chi barely had her anger under control, and Bulma could see the red light starting to build, even over the phone.   
  
"What did he tell you? Exactly."  
  
"He said Gohan was fine! Can you believe that! He's not fine! He's dead!"  
  
Bulma went white. "How did you find that out?" she asked shakily.  
  
"Papa let it slip just EXACTLY who King Kai was," she hissed back. "And NOW, you just WAIT until I get my hands on Goku!"  
  
Bulma winced at the familiar threats. Only this time Chi Chi was believable. "Well, when you look at it this way Chi Chi, Goku WAS telling the truth. Not much can happen to you if you're already dead."  
  
The only reason Chi Chi didn't jump through the screen and strangle her friend was only because it was a physical impossibility. Instead she grabbed something from next to the screen and threw it across the room, narrowly missing her father's head. When she turned back, Bulma thought she looked positively evil and shivered involuntarily.  
  
"I think my brownies are burning. Gotta go!" And Chi Chi was left yelling at an empty screen.  
  
**============================================**  
  
When the boys came back, Bulma had succeeded in blowing up the tiny kitchen she had installed. She was completely covered in soot and dirty from head to toe, but she was grinning and a huge two-layer cake and five plates of brownies sat on the table outside, aka the door to the ship.  
  
"Jeez, Bulma. What happened to you?" Krillin asked as he took some of the food, looking her over.  
  
"Nothing to be worried about Krillin," she replied cheerfully. He raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on her improved attitude.  
  
"This isn't bad," Vegeta complimented. "It's even kinda good. Well, woman, there IS something you're good for."  
  
She smiled at him. "I'm in a good enough mood to be nice to you," she said with an obviously forced smile. "But don't push it." He merely shrugged and continued to pig out on the junk food.  
  
"I told you she's good at making cake," Goku said, holding up half of it. The other half was already in the stomachs of Krillin and Vegeta, while Bulma was constantly stealing pieces off Goku's right under his nose.  
  
"Thanks Goku. I think I'm gonna hit the shower now though. And this time, I don't want ANY INTERRUPTIONS!" Then she smiled angelically and marched off toward the bathroom. "Oh, and you guys might want to find something to eat later on. I'll even have fish without complaining. While you're out I'll fix the ship up a little more. I have enough of the pieces to start on it."  
  
Once she was out of earshot, Krillin turned to Vegeta. "Wow. You REALLY got her in a good mood. Keep it up." Vegeta only grumbled in response and devoured the rest of the food on the "table."  
  
Wiping his hands on his pants, Goku rose and grinned. "How about we surprise her and bring back something else? I think I saw some deer earlier." Vegeta nodded and Krillin broke into a grin. "Well, then, gentleman, let's go hunting."  
  
**============================================**  
  
When Bulma heard the footsteps, she immediately knew it wasn't any of the boys. They were too cautious and hesitant, not to mention light, to be those of Vegeta or Goku, and too heavy to be Krillin's. She wiped her hands on a towel and reached for the monkey wrench, which she slipped in her pocket. What species inhabited this planet anyway? Bulma didn't know, but she decided better safe than sorry.  
  
Bulma stuck her head out and looked around, hesitantly stepping out into the main room. She noticed something, a movement, and her hand strayed absently to the handle of the wrench. She put her back to the wall and glared at nothing in particular. "Who's there?" she finally demanded harshly. "Come out."  
  
Off to her right she saw someone rise out of the shadows, hands in a defensive position. She squinted as another came out behind, and saw the two figures were male. They looked human all right, except one was orange and one was blue. Another thing she noticed was that their eyes gave off a shimmering light, not to mention that there were no pupils or irises, just a metallic gold. Bulma inched away a little and felt something sharp jab into her side. She looked and saw it was a woman, almost as tall as Goku with long black hair and red skin lacerated with battle scars. Unlike the boys, she held a weapon -- a long-handled knife that ended in a curved, double-edged sword -- and it was pointed right at Bulma.  
  
Now that the men were closer, Bulma could see they weren't at all bad-looking: they had the appearance of a twenty-year-old kid. One had straight jet-black hair in a crew cut, muscular and also scarred. The other, the blue one, looked more like Goku with a puppy-dog face and eyes that, though cold, held a profound thoughtfulness in them. He looked like he was barely out of high school and only had a few marks of past battles. Both faces were set grimly as they stood at what reminded Bulma of attention.  
  
The woman spoke, and Bulma was shocked to hear it was strangely musical, like a well-practiced song on the violin. The only word Bulma could make out in this strange and beautiful language was the word "Saiyan." It sounded almost exactly the same, and Bulma no longer thought Vegeta was bluffing when he said his people were universal terrorists. Apparently they had gotten to this planet as well.  
  
The blue guy nodded and held Bulma by the shoulders and looked at the woman. She smirked and whipped the blade around so the curve was a just digging into Bulma's skin. She went white as the knife moved, closed her eyes and tried feebly to put her hands up to block them, but she was no use against the man holding her down. The woman delivered three lightning fast blows -- one to each side of Bulma's head, and the last to her throat -- each stopping only a hair from cutting her. Confused, the woman nodded and Bulma was released.  
  
She sagged to the floor and looked up as the musical voice started again. The spear-like weapon was now folded up and laid in the woman's palm while she spoke, tapping it impatiently against her leg. Bulma stood slowly, finally realizing that this woman was most likely their superior officer. The orange man looked back at her while the lady wa talking, an identical puzzled look plastered on his face.  
  
Blue looked her over, then circled her, stopping several times in the back and shaking his head. The woman was getting angry, and Bulma could literally see tiny sparks flying. Then it hit her. They thought she was a Saiyan! They'd never met a human before, but they HAD put up with Saiyans!  
  
Bulma smiled at the young orange man in front of her and said, "What do you want? I'm not a Saiyan."  
  
Almost instantly, two very strong hands were wrapped around her neck, pinning her against the wall. Bulma tried uselessly to pry his hands off of her. She even kicked him a few times but his grip never wavered. Finally she just started to curse him out in every language she knew. When she reached Namek, he dropped her and backed up a few paces. She dropped to the ground and glared at him, still going.  
  
"What are you?" Bulma's next few words flew out of her head as she realized he'd asked the question in Namek. His voice was like a bass guitar, and heavily accented by his native language, but it was definitely Namek he was speaking.  
  
"I'm a human," she answered in the same tongue. "From the planet Earth, light-years from here."  
  
He looked puzzled, then it seemed to sink in. "You're not Saiyan, then?"  
  
"No. I only LOOK like them." She stepped forward. "There a only two Saiyans left in the universe, and they're both my friends. They don't hurt anyone." She paused in between those lines, but after the great welcome she'd received, she doubted it would be good for her to mention one was still a bloodthristy bastard.  
  
"They hurt everyone. There is no such thing as a kind Saiyan," Blue retorted.  
  
"You're wrong. There is. One was brought up on Earth, and he'll only fight if he has to, to PROTECT people. The other was defeated and now he has no will to fight, not unless he's pushed," Bulma argued. "Trust me. I know them, and what they'll do. Which is nothing is you leave them alone."  
  
"I don't trust you," he said bluntly. "How a stranger from so far away has come to our planet is a mystery."  
  
"We are coming back from Namek. Our ship crashed here, and now all we want is to fix it and get home." She paused before asking, "How do you know Namek?"  
  
"It is the language that allows us to trade with other planets," he said, speaking as if she were stupid. "But how do YOU know it?"  
  
"The guardian of our planet was originally from Namek and he lent us this ship to go to the planet to collect the dragonballs and wish him back. Actually, his groundskeeper lent it to us," Bulma said, scratching her head. "But the only way to pilot this ship is to know the language."  
  
The woman had crossed her arms and was now idly tapping the blade on her arm. "We came here to scout out a possible enemy, and we have found two Saiyans," she said tauntly in Namek. "Bring her along and we'll report back. I think we have found our present for the harvest." 


	5. Part 5

Vegeta turned and saw nothing different, except the stars were gone and the sky looked like it had craters in it. He gasped as he realized they were set up for a nice collision with the meteor.  
  
Krillin, fight with Bulma already forgotten, said in a choked voice, "Vegeta, I think you missed one."  
  
Vegeta was too shocked to insult him back. He only stared at the chunks of rock that was threatening to bash the space vessel to tiny fragments and scatter them all the way back to Namek.  
  
Bulma pulled out of it first and shook her head. She immediately scrambled for the controls and tried to figure out a way around it. "It's too big. I can't do anything. Moving forward will just make up crash sooner." Her shoulders sagged and she collapsed into the seat, exhausted.  
  
Vegeta was working on trying to get into Goku's spacesuit. "What are you DOING?" Krillin asked after watching the older Saiyan dress.  
  
"Trying to get us out of this mess," Vegeta snapped back, zipping it up with none of the problems Goku had had earlier. "I'm going to drill a hole through it and someone else will have to use the weapons to help." As much as he hated to admit that he couldn't do it alone, and as long as the last part of the sentence took to get out, the boys had a good idea of what he was going to try to do.  
  
As Vegeta climbed out through the hole in the roof, Krillin manned the lasers. He grinned; the sugar high that convinced him to start a fight with Bulma was still raging. He grasped the joystick that Bulma had put in specifically for that use and pressed the red button on the side. Blue beams of light sprang from the front of the screen and to where the crosshairs met on the crater in front of him.  
  
"Not until I do," Vegeta snapped through the intercom. "All right? THEN you can aim." He sounded snobbish and arrogant, even with his voice distorted and fuzzy through the speakers. "Woman, get ready.  
  
"I am, monkey man," Bulma said easily. Insults to her came easily once she had something to work off of, something she just figured out after Krillin. "The question is are YOU ready?"  
  
"Just do as I say," Vegeta said back  
  
"Backseat driver," Bulma muttered. "This is going to kill our engines totally you know."  
  
"That's fine. For now, just concentrate on living."  
  
"After we clear this thing I'll take it down nice and easy," Bulma said confidently. "Then we'll be able to juice it up even more and get back ahead of schedule." She rubbed her hands together. "O, how I DO love my work. And it's important to pick a career you enjoy."  
  
Krillin rolled his eyes, but between Vegeta and the lasers, a hole just big enough for the ship to fit through was burnt through the moon-sized rock.  
  
"That was close," Bulma said as she watched the stars reappear. She breathed a sigh of relief as Vegeta climbed back in and there was no sign of anything else coming their way. "Nice job you guys."  
  
"No problem," Krillin said grandly. "All in a day's work. You know, killing the strongest guy in the universe, shooting down a huge killer rock, no sweat." Vegeta only grunted and rolled his eyes.  
  
"What the…!" Bulma said as she spotted one remaining shooting star, just as it hit the ship, sending them plummeting to the planet below.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Chi Chi flung herself down in a chair, glaring at the machine from hell. "I give up!"  
  
"Hey! Chi Chi, look at this!" The Ox KIng held up the plug. "All that and this was the problem." He chuckled and straightened. "Imagine that."  
  
She couldn't help but want to strangle her father. "Just plug it in, Papa," she growled, deliberately keeping still so she wouldn't get up and try to kill him.  
  
The Ox King, well aware that his daughter was about to go on a killing spree, grinned and popped the plug in. The screen instantly blinked and a ringing sound could be heard on the other end. "That wasn't so hard." He grinned and sat back with Chi Chi, waiting. And waiting. And, for a change of action, waited some more.  
  
Chi Chi slammed her hands on the computer table that the screen was sitting on. "Why isn't anyone answering?" she demanded.  
  
Her father put his hands on her shoulders and eased her back into her seat. "Come on. Wait a little longer."  
  
While patience wasn't in Chi Chi's vocabulary, the Ox King was willing to wait until someone answered the annoying buzz at the other end. When the screen finally blinked to life, something wasn't right. Diagonally across the screen was a pile of grey rocks and other debris, and what looked like an orange piece of cloth.  
  
"Bulma? Goku? Krillin?" Chi Chi said, first angrily, then again without as much fire behind her words.  
  
When the heap moved, Chi Chi could see Bulma pushing an unconscious Goku off of her and shaking her head, then looking over at the screen. That wouldn't have been unusual if they hadn't been standing at a very odd angle.  
  
"That you Chi Chi?" Bulma asked, climbing woozily over the bodies of Krillin and Vegeta to get to the screen. Then she looked at the way the screen was tilted and realized that, since the telephone was attached to the wall, the whole ship was on its side. She groaned and tilted her head, hair falling into her injury and making her wince.  
  
"Yeah. What happened to you?" Her friend looked like she'd gotten into a fight with one of the guys.  
  
Bulma waved her hand. "Long story." She glanced around and grimaced. "This is gonna take a while," she muttered to herself as she turned her attention back to Chi Chi.  
  
"Bulma? What's going on over there?" There was something not right that the brunette could feel, even through the light years that separated them. Vegeta loomed up out of the masses and Chi Chi screamed.  
  
Bulma lazily turned around and slapped at Vegeta. "Do you mind," she snapped. "I'm TRYING to have a conversation here." She looked at Chi Chi with disgust. "Don't mind him. He's just a jackass."  
  
"Some landing," Vegeta shot back. "Take it down nice and easy my ASS!" He wiped the dirt and grit out of his hair and sneered at her.  
  
Goku sat up and rubbed his head. "Bulma, I think we're experiencing some technical difficulties."  
  
"Wow. He really DID learn how to turn on the television," Bulma muttered. "But yeah, Chi Chi. This isn't a good time. Here, talk to Goku for a minute." She abandoned her friend to inspect the damage done to their only way home. "How the hell do we get OUT of here?" she asked a minute later.  
  
Goku -- who was in the process of assuming his position to talk to his wife -- glanced behind him. "What do you mean? The door's not even there."  
  
"What?" That was Krillin from across the room. "How did that happen?"  
  
"The woman just crashed on a planet." Three guesses who said that. And in a regal, matter-of-fact way.  
  
Chi Chi cleared her throat. "Might I ask again: WHAT is going ON there?"  
  
"Not much dear," Goku said soothingly. "Nothing to worry about. But I think I should help Bulma before she seriously freaks out."  
  
"And you're too late again, Goku," Krillin said as he watched Bulma collapse to her knees.  
  
"Better late than never," Goku shot back. Krillin raised an eyebrow. "Gotta go. Love you," he said, trying to hide his cheerfulness as he blew her a kiss and disconnected them.  
  
He, along with Krillin, cringed at Bulma's cry. She had been staring at the mess in silence for a minute before she started the screaming. When Vegeta looked up from next to her -- after all, he was the one that had to take her down to the ground -- he saw why. Even his jaw had come unhinged at the sight. Pieces of the ship were scattered all over, in every direction, and as far as even Vegeta could see.  
  
"Oh, shit. Ahh, shit," Bulma said, almost laughing as she ran a shaking hand through her hair. "Damn. Aw, man. Shit." She shook her head and closed her eyes for a few seconds. "Aw. Damn. This isn't good."  
  
Vegeta worked his jaw a few times before words came out. "That is the biggest understatement I've ever heard, woman."  
  
Bulma stood, one hand stuck in her hair, the other on her hip, staring out at the various equipment that had separated from the ship in their landing.  
  
Krillin came down beside her. "Can you fix it?"  
  
"If first I can find all the pieces, THEN figure out where half of them came from." Bulma turned her back and shook her head. "Hey Goku," she called up, desperate. "Do we have any Scotch tape up there?"  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma sighed as the boys were sent out AGAIN to look for the parts. "We've been here three weeks and we STILL haven't gotten everything back." Even as Krillin and Goku passed her with another armload of stuff her heart sank.  
  
"How much longer do you think it'll take?" Krillin asked as Vegeta set down whatever he had in his hands.  
  
Bulma wiped the sweat off her forehead and only smeared the grease from her arm. Her hand passed over her stitches that Vegeta had insisted he do before she killed herself with the needle. Unfortunately, the only thing that they had to stitch it up with was fishing line, which was good enough. She eyed the growing pile and her eyes lit up. "Who got this?" she yelled as she held up the green chip laying on the table.  
  
Goku and Krillin looked at each other while Vegeta raised an eyebrow at her new expression. "I did. Why?"  
  
Bulma clutched it in both hands and tried to keep herself from jumping up and down in happiness. "Oh, KAMI! I can't belive you found it!" She threw her arms around Vegeta just as Chi Chi's image appeared behind her. "I could kiss you!"  
  
Goku nudged Krillin with his elbow and the latter's eyes flicked from Vegeta's semi-shocked face to the viewscreen. Krillin held back a laugh as he wandered back outside so they wouldn't hear. Goku grinned as he watched his wife's face pale visibly. Bulma was oblivious to Chi Chi as she released Vegeta, a huge grin plastered on he face.  
  
"You know what guys? Because of this I'm gonna make you a cake. Or brownies!"  
  
"Aw, come on Bulma. Don't make us choose," Goku begged teasingly.  
  
"Fine. I'll make both. Now go and get more like this." She playfully shoved Goku away, looking more happy than Goku could remember.  
  
Vegeta wrinkled his nose. "What's cake?"  
  
Goku grabbed his sleeve and yanked the prince out of the ship. "Come on. I'll explain it to you."  
  
Bulma felt like dancing. This was the only thing that could save the ship if all the parts WEREN'T found. "I can't believe it's still in one piece! I thought it would be broken by now! There IS a Kami!" She was so excited she missed the first polite 'ahem.' And the second. And the third...  
  
Chi Chi was getting frustrated now. "Bulma!" she shouted, hearing the echo in the ship. Something was definitely up with her friend. Last time they talked Bulma was so down she could barely talk, and now she was acting like she was high on sugar.  
  
Bulma stuck her head out to see Chi Chi. "Hi! How are you? What's up?" She disappeared long enough to adjust the settings on the oven before sitting down to talk to Chi Chi.  
  
"What was that all about?" Chi Chi finally sputtered. Bulma giggled like a girl half her age.  
  
"What question do you want me to answer first? That one, why Vegeta is here, or why I'm in such a good mood?" Chi Chi opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Bulma grinned. "You're just like Goku. Read like a book."  
  
Chi Chi shook her head. "Except Goku can't read," she muttered.  
  
"Well then I guess King Kai did teach him something after all," Bulma muttered back, but living with Goku for so long had improved Chi Chi's hearing enough that she cold make out what Bulma said.  
  
"That reminds me..." Chi Chi began menacingly. "I heard Gohan went to train with King Kai."  
  
"Really?" Bulma looked back at her friend. "Then Gohan will already know so much..." She trailed off at the look on the other woman's face. "Chi Chi, stop looking at me like that."  
  
"Not until you tell me why Goku lied to me!"  
  
"When did he lie to you?" Bulma didn't think Goku had it in him to be dishonest, but there WAS something that made you want to tiptoe around Chi Chi.  
  
"The first time he called me!" Chi Chi barely had her anger under control, and Bulma could see the red light starting to build, even over the phone.   
  
"What did he tell you? Exactly."  
  
"He said Gohan was fine! Can you believe that! He's not fine! He's dead!"  
  
Bulma went white. "How did you find that out?" she asked shakily.  
  
"Papa let it slip just EXACTLY who King Kai was," she hissed back. "And NOW, you just WAIT until I get my hands on Goku!"  
  
Bulma winced at the familiar threats. Only this time Chi Chi was believable. "Well, when you look at it this way Chi Chi, Goku WAS telling the truth. Not much can happen to you if you're already dead."  
  
The only reason Chi Chi didn't jump through the screen and strangle her friend was only because it was a physical impossibility. Instead she grabbed something from next to the screen and threw it across the room, narrowly missing her father's head. When she turned back, Bulma thought she looked positively evil and shivered involuntarily.  
  
"I think my brownies are burning. Gotta go!" And Chi Chi was left yelling at an empty screen.  
  
**============================================**  
  
When the boys came back, Bulma had succeeded in blowing up the tiny kitchen she had installed. She was completely covered in soot and dirty from head to toe, but she was grinning and a huge two-layer cake and five plates of brownies sat on the table outside, aka the door to the ship.  
  
"Jeez, Bulma. What happened to you?" Krillin asked as he took some of the food, looking her over.  
  
"Nothing to be worried about Krillin," she replied cheerfully. He raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on her improved attitude.  
  
"This isn't bad," Vegeta complimented. "It's even kinda good. Well, woman, there IS something you're good for."  
  
She smiled at him. "I'm in a good enough mood to be nice to you," she said with an obviously forced smile. "But don't push it." He merely shrugged and continued to pig out on the junk food.  
  
"I told you she's good at making cake," Goku said, holding up half of it. The other half was already in the stomachs of Krillin and Vegeta, while Bulma was constantly stealing pieces off Goku's right under his nose.  
  
"Thanks Goku. I think I'm gonna hit the shower now though. And this time, I don't want ANY INTERRUPTIONS!" Then she smiled angelically and marched off toward the bathroom. "Oh, and you guys might want to find something to eat later on. I'll even have fish without complaining. While you're out I'll fix the ship up a little more. I have enough of the pieces to start on it."  
  
Once she was out of earshot, Krillin turned to Vegeta. "Wow. You REALLY got her in a good mood. Keep it up." Vegeta only grumbled in response and devoured the rest of the food on the "table."  
  
Wiping his hands on his pants, Goku rose and grinned. "How about we surprise her and bring back something else? I think I saw some deer earlier." Vegeta nodded and Krillin broke into a grin. "Well, then, gentleman, let's go hunting."  
  
**============================================**  
  
When Bulma heard the footsteps, she immediately knew it wasn't any of the boys. They were too cautious and hesitant, not to mention light, to be those of Vegeta or Goku, and too heavy to be Krillin's. She wiped her hands on a towel and reached for the monkey wrench, which she slipped in her pocket. What species inhabited this planet anyway? Bulma didn't know, but she decided better safe than sorry.  
  
Bulma stuck her head out and looked around, hesitantly stepping out into the main room. She noticed something, a movement, and her hand strayed absently to the handle of the wrench. She put her back to the wall and glared at nothing in particular. "Who's there?" she finally demanded harshly. "Come out."  
  
Off to her right she saw someone rise out of the shadows, hands in a defensive position. She squinted as another came out behind, and saw the two figures were male. They looked human all right, except one was orange and one was blue. Another thing she noticed was that their eyes gave off a shimmering light, not to mention that there were no pupils or irises, just a metallic gold. Bulma inched away a little and felt something sharp jab into her side. She looked and saw it was a woman, almost as tall as Goku with long black hair and red skin lacerated with battle scars. Unlike the boys, she held a weapon -- a long-handled knife that ended in a curved, double-edged sword -- and it was pointed right at Bulma.  
  
Now that the men were closer, Bulma could see they weren't at all bad-looking: they had the appearance of a twenty-year-old kid. One had straight jet-black hair in a crew cut, muscular and also scarred. The other, the blue one, looked more like Goku with a puppy-dog face and eyes that, though cold, held a profound thoughtfulness in them. He looked like he was barely out of high school and only had a few marks of past battles. Both faces were set grimly as they stood at what reminded Bulma of attention.  
  
The woman spoke, and Bulma was shocked to hear it was strangely musical, like a well-practiced song on the violin. The only word Bulma could make out in this strange and beautiful language was the word "Saiyan." It sounded almost exactly the same, and Bulma no longer thought Vegeta was bluffing when he said his people were universal terrorists. Apparently they had gotten to this planet as well.  
  
The blue guy nodded and held Bulma by the shoulders and looked at the woman. She smirked and whipped the blade around so the curve was a just digging into Bulma's skin. She went white as the knife moved, closed her eyes and tried feebly to put her hands up to block them, but she was no use against the man holding her down. The woman delivered three lightning fast blows -- one to each side of Bulma's head, and the last to her throat -- each stopping only a hair from cutting her. Confused, the woman nodded and Bulma was released.  
  
She sagged to the floor and looked up as the musical voice started again. The spear-like weapon was now folded up and laid in the woman's palm while she spoke, tapping it impatiently against her leg. Bulma stood slowly, finally realizing that this woman was most likely their superior officer. The orange man looked back at her while the lady wa talking, an identical puzzled look plastered on his face.  
  
Blue looked her over, then circled her, stopping several times in the back and shaking his head. The woman was getting angry, and Bulma could literally see tiny sparks flying. Then it hit her. They thought she was a Saiyan! They'd never met a human before, but they HAD put up with Saiyans!  
  
Bulma smiled at the young orange man in front of her and said, "What do you want? I'm not a Saiyan."  
  
Almost instantly, two very strong hands were wrapped around her neck, pinning her against the wall. Bulma tried uselessly to pry his hands off of her. She even kicked him a few times but his grip never wavered. Finally she just started to curse him out in every language she knew. When she reached Namek, he dropped her and backed up a few paces. She dropped to the ground and glared at him, still going.  
  
"What are you?" Bulma's next few words flew out of her head as she realized he'd asked the question in Namek. His voice was like a bass guitar, and heavily accented by his native language, but it was definitely Namek he was speaking.  
  
"I'm a human," she answered in the same tongue. "From the planet Earth, light-years from here."  
  
He looked puzzled, then it seemed to sink in. "You're not Saiyan, then?"  
  
"No. I only LOOK like them." She stepped forward. "There a only two Saiyans left in the universe, and they're both my friends. They don't hurt anyone." She paused in between those lines, but after the great welcome she'd received, she doubted it would be good for her to mention one was still a bloodthristy bastard.  
  
"They hurt everyone. There is no such thing as a kind Saiyan," Blue retorted.  
  
"You're wrong. There is. One was brought up on Earth, and he'll only fight if he has to, to PROTECT people. The other was defeated and now he has no will to fight, not unless he's pushed," Bulma argued. "Trust me. I know them, and what they'll do. Which is nothing is you leave them alone."  
  
"I don't trust you," he said bluntly. "How a stranger from so far away has come to our planet is a mystery."  
  
"We are coming back from Namek. Our ship crashed here, and now all we want is to fix it and get home." She paused before asking, "How do you know Namek?"  
  
"It is the language that allows us to trade with other planets," he said, speaking as if she were stupid. "But how do YOU know it?"  
  
"The guardian of our planet was originally from Namek and he lent us this ship to go to the planet to collect the dragonballs and wish him back. Actually, his groundskeeper lent it to us," Bulma said, scratching her head. "But the only way to pilot this ship is to know the language."  
  
The woman had crossed her arms and was now idly tapping the blade on her arm. "We came here to scout out a possible enemy, and we have found two Saiyans," she said tauntly in Namek. "Bring her along and we'll report back. I think we have found our present for the harvest." 


	6. Part 6

Goku finally let the thing drop, too tired to get out of the way when the mountains of sand washed over him. He could hear the thunderous thud of Vegeta doing it on the other side, then Krillin dropping the back. Goku leaned against the furry side and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his arm. Vegeta had the energy to walk away from the beast a little before collapsing. Krillin made it to the top of their load and wiped his eyes before settling down.  
  
"Can you see camp from up there?" Goku asked as he slid down to the ground, not bothering to wipe away the sand that stuck to his sweaty body.  
  
Krillin looked up slowly, then sat up so fast he made himself dizzy. "Yeah! It's not even that far!"  
  
Goku -- who had laid down by now, or more accurately FELL down -- couldn't bring himself to get up. Vegeta casually looked over and his eyes widened.  
  
"For once he's right, Kakorrot. It's barely a thousand meters from here." Goku grabbed ahold of the coarse, wiry fur and pulled himself up to look. Vegeta was right. He could see the ship, broken door and all.  
  
"Well, then I guess we can rest for a while. This damn thing is heavy," Krillin said as he laid his head down. "I can't wait to fry this sucker for causing so much damn trouble." He yawned and smiled at the thought.  
  
"This thing being heavy is the understatement of the century," Goku said as he allowed himself to slip back down. "If this takes the three of us at near maximum power to carry HALF of it, then there's no word for how heavy it is." Vegeta grunted an agreement. "What the hell is it anyway?"  
  
"Looks like a deer to me. Only about a thousand times bigger and a million times heavier," Krillin murmmered from his spot on their dinner. "Not to mention it could probably cook itself out here."  
  
"No kidding. If I didn't know better I'd think we landed in the Sahara back on Earth."  
  
Vegeta looked up. "What's that?"  
  
"Basically the biggest desert on the whole damn planet," Krillin answered. "And growing."  
  
"You can't eat the Sahara, Krillin."  
  
Krillin didn't even have the energy to roll his eyes. "Desert, Goku. Not DESSERT. DESERT. As in big sandy place that's hot."  
  
"Oh." Krillin shook his head and rolled off the stag, ignoring the dust that threatened to get in his eyes.  
  
"We should get back. I don't want Bulma to get any more pissed off at us."  
  
"It's not like she could hurt you," Vegeta snorted. "Why are you so afraid of her?"  
  
"You mean you don't know by now? I have a thing about people bitching at me. I hate it. Which is why Bulma picked it up as her favorite hobby." Krillin glared at the prince. "Come on."  
  
Vegeta looked at Krillin like he was going to say something, but he just shrugged and rose gracefully, much different from Goku. When he went to pick up his end, Goku stopped him with some more news.  
  
"Guys? I have a question. How are we going to get it up the hills?" Goku asked innocently.  
  
"We don't need to, Kakorrot," Vegeta said, trying to have patience with the other warrior. "There's a valley up there."  
  
Goku walked around to see what Vegeta was looking at and shook his head. "It's too small. This thing won't fit through."  
  
"Why don't we just cut it in half again?" Krillin suggested. "It's not like it's going to just walk away. If we need more we can come back and get it."  
  
"It's already starting to rot, Krillin. And with the way we eat, this is gonna last us about a week. At most," Goku pointed out. "Otherwise we would."  
  
Vegeta finally gritted his teeth and blasted the hills and mountains of sand. "Problem solved," he said, picking up the beast with renewed energy.  
  
"Adrenaline. Such a wonderful drug," Krillin said as he hoisted his part with some difficulty. "Let's move out!" Vegeta only scowled but obeyed. It was just easier to listen to the munchkin than to argue right now.  
  
When they dropped the thing for the final time, Krillin felt his knees go weak and he fell against it. "I can't wait to cook this thing and..." He was so tired he couldn't finish his sentence. "Forget that. I CAN wait. After I get some sleep."  
  
"Man, this place is trashed," Goku said as he wandered toward the ship. "Bulma must've gotten REALLY mad this time."  
  
"That woman couldn't have done all this," Vegeta protested, coming up behind Goku.  
  
"Well, half of it is her putting stuff together while the other half is tearing things apart," Krillin muttered as he rubbed his eyes. "If she wants to kill me, she can do it while I sleep. I'll see you guys in the morning."  
  
"Krillin, it's barely noon." Goku looked at the sky for affirmation and saw the sun was right overhead.  
  
Krillin waved his hand as he went back in the ship. "Yeah, yeah. Fine. Good night, good morning, I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
Goku shook his head. "Where's Bulma anyway? I thought she'd be yelling at us by now."  
  
"She probably went to take a bath," Vegeta said, wrinkling his nose. "But I think you could ask them."  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma struggled to get free and only knocked something else off the belt of the blue man carrying her. "Dammit!" she swore as she reached for the knife he had tucked in the leather, and knocked that to the ground as well.  
  
"Don't you ever shut up?" he asked, bored with all her kicking and screaming. Even though they were a good fifteen feet above the ground, any rookie could follow their trail.  
  
"No. Unless you let me go." He shrugged and dropped her, smiling a little as she screamed. But then he noticed that she was grinning up at him as she hit the ground and took off back toward the ship. He swooped down to pick her up. Bulma groaned and propped her elbows on his arm and put her head in her hands.  
  
"You're more cunning than I thought," he admitted.  
  
"And you're more of a bastard than I thought. What's your point?" she asked in a monotone of defeat.  
  
"I still think you're a Saiyan."  
  
"I'm not even going to get into that again," Bulma said, flicking a pebble off his arm. "You think what you want. I don't even care anymore. It's not like I'm gonna get out of this mess anyway. Not unless Goku gets some brains, Krillin can convince Vegeta not to be a pompous bastard, and Vegeta agrees that the planet is worth NOT blowing up."  
  
"Did you know you alternate between the two languages when you're angry?"  
  
"As a matter of fact, yes. My mother told me that since I learned Namek. Now excuse me, I'm busy feeling miserable, and I would like it if you didn't interrupt."  
  
"As you wish," he said, and was silent the rest of the journey. Bulma continued to mope, occasionally sneaking glances at the stony face. She shivered at how much he was like Vegeta.  
  
Once in awhile she would swat at something in his belt or smack him or something. "Man," she complained so he couldn't understand. "Why are all the cute guys ones that insist on killing me? And why are they so cheerful before they try?" She jabbed at his side again and shook her head. "This is gonna be a LONG day."  
  
**============================================**  
  
Confused, Goku looked over his shoulder at the two tall creatures standing in the doorway. Even with Saiyan eyes he couldn't quite make out who -- or, more importantly, WHAT -- they were. He immediately went on the defensive, glaring at the shadowy figures.  
  
"Hey, guys! You know what these are doing here?"  
  
Goku raised an eyebrow as Krillin stepped out, carrying what almost looked like two brooms loaded with things none of them had seen before. He put down his hands and shook his head at his best friend. Even Vegeta relaxed a little.  
  
"Cueball, what are you doing?"  
  
Krillin looked at Vegeta. "You know, we have NAMES. I am Krillin, he is Goku, and our only way home is missing. Who also happens to be Bulma." He turned to Goku and added, "She's not in there, and the whole place is more destroyed than she could've done."  
  
"Great. So she's missing again? Damn that woman."  
  
"Shut up Vegeta," Krillin snapped. "I'm sick of it."  
  
Goku stared at him in amazement. "Krillin, what has gotten into you lately?"  
  
Krillin rubbed the back of his head. "I've been homesick since we got to Namek. Now I'm homesick AND have cabin fever. I dunno. I just want to get OUT of here is all."  
  
"Then I suggest you keep you mouth shut if you want to live," Vegeta threatened. "Patience is not one of my finer qualities."  
  
Before Krillin could make another crack at the Saiyan warrior, Goku put a hand over his mouth and smiled. "We'll stay here until nightfall. If she's not back then we'll look for her in the morning."  
  
"Since when did I start taking orders from you?" Vegeta asked calmly.  
  
"Since you figured out you needed us to get away from Namek," Goku shot back. "We can do it alone if you want, but it'll get us out of here faster if you help us look. It's always your choice. I just hope you help." With that, Goku turned his back and went inside. "Now, I wonder if she has any more cake around here."  
  
"Why is he so stupid most of the time, yet so serious and... intelligent at others?"  
  
"I don't know. I've been trying to figure that out forever. At least he's not a girl. Then you'd have to put up with the weird mood swings every other minute along with trying to figure out how he thinks." Krillin shrugged. "I gave up a long time ago." Vegeta only gave him a blank look and Krillin sighed. "You'll find out when we get to Earth."  
  
"Everyone keeps telling me that."  
  
"That's because we can't explain it. The only way to learn is from experience, and the only way to do that is ON Earth." He shrugged. "You'll understand when you get there."  
  
Vegeta scowled. "Earth sounds like a nuisance to me," he growled. "I think Kakorrot should've just blown up the whole damn thing and gotten rid of it like he was supposed to."  
  
"The only good thing is that it would've gotten rid of Bulma, and it's not worth it. The rest is just human nature. Something you'll just have to live with unless Bulma makes you another ship to get back to wherever you came from." He scratched his head. "Yep. That one of your buddy's got blown up, Goku's was destroyed, and this one is gonna be totally useless by the time we get back." He put his hand down and grinned. "Between now and then I suggest you study up on Earth customs." He patted Vegeta on the shoulder and joined Goku inside.  
  
Arms crossed, Vegeta scowled even deeper. "Stupid humans. Who needs them anyway?" He kicked at the dust, then remembered he wanted to talk to Goku. "Oh, Kakorrot!" he called threateningly into the ship. "I think you might be interested in something."  
  
**============================================**  
  
"Goddamn it! Put me down!"  
  
Blue unceremoniously dropped Bulma on the hard-packed dirt floor and smiled at her. She picked herself up carefully, wiped the dust off her arms, then punched him in the chest, glaring.  
  
"Where the hell am I, and what am I doing here?"  
  
"You'll see." He took her gently by the arm and led her through the labyrinth of corridors. Bulma was amazed at the look to this place. It was like the tent of a high priest in Egypt during Bible times, yet it was the size of a bigtop three-ring circus tent and the inside was slathered with stone hallways that criss-crossed everywhere. And she knew from the several times she got slammed against the walls to get her to shut up that they were very hard and very solid.  
  
"Kami," she swore as she jerked away from the cool stone. Again. "Do you MIND?"  
  
"Not really." His response was cool and held a tint of humor, just as hers usually were.  
  
"Now I know how Vegeta feels," she muttered. That made him stop, even though she didn't. She walked right into a corner.  
  
Before she could say anything, he asked nervously, "You know Vegeta?"  
  
"Unfortunately," she said, rolling her eyes. "He's the biggest, most ANNOYING, LITTLE bastard that I--" She got cut off by a hand over her mouth. She yanked it away and turned her attention back to him. "Don't touch me! He knows! I've TOLD him. Many times, in fact. So don't you think YOU scare me."  
  
"And you're still alive?"  
  
"You're either dumber than you look, or..." She shook her head. "Never mind. You wouldn't understand it anyway. Too many big words for your little brain."  
  
He scowled at her. "At least they will be pleased with such a spirited gift."  
  
"EXCUSE me!" She stomped on his foot. "I keep hearing shit about a goddamn gift! How about elaborating on that?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Tell me more!" she screamed, frustrated. Her fists clenched and she growled. "Now, before I lose control and KILL you!"  
  
He rolled his eyes but answered anyway. "You might call it a sacrifice. Burnt offering. Whatever."  
  
Bulma -- for one of the first times in her life -- was speechless. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she found her voice. "So," she finally croaked out. "I'm gonna become a barbecue for some alien god because I like to yell a lot." He thought that over then nodded. "Goku! Krillin! Help me!" She yelled in her native language. "Oh, hell, I'll even let Vegeta, but dammit, HELP!"  
  
**============================================**  
  
Krillin and Goku walked side-by-side along the trail left by Bulma and whoever took her. "Well, they sure had a hard time," Krillin said as he picked up a few scattered weapons now and again. "I wonder who was stupid enough to kidnap her."  
  
"Obviously the inhabitants of this planet," Vegeta snorted. Then he stopped and looked up over a nearby mountain of sand. His eyes widened in recognition and he smirked. "And I think I know where she is."  
  
"How?" Goku asked as he picked up a knife by the blade and flipping it to hold it by the handle. He adjusted his course to follow Vegeta.  
  
"Where the hell are you guys going?" Krillin demanded harshly. "It goes THIS way!"  
  
"Shut up, Cueball. This was the planet I got shipped off to this planet to begin my training. I've basically lived here since I was eight years old. I think I know my way around. But you two will need to be a distraction anyway. If I remember correctly, there ARE some things here you don't want to fight in huge numbers."  
  
Krillin raised a skeptical eyebrow but shrugged and went after the Saiyans. "You better be right."  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma, still yelling and kicking, was being dragged into another room. "Dammit!" she swore."Let me go! Now!" He ignored her, as usual. "You remind me more of Vegeta every minute," she said in an Earth language. That got him to let go. Only recognizing the prince's name, she could've said anything. "Thank you," she said huffily, brushing herself off. "I prefer to walk, with a klutz like you wanting to carry me." Then she stuck out her tongue at him.  
  
The guy wasn't even paying any attention to her. Then she looked around and realized she couldn't even see the walls from where she was standing. When she went to look at the ceiling, it was like standing on the sidewalk and looking up at the Empire State Building. She nearly fell over from simply trying to see the roof.  
  
"Come. They're waiting for you." He took her arm.  
  
She yanked it away and glared at him. "Who? I don't see anybody. In fact, the only thing I DO see is a stupid little blue guy and a bunch of white." Then she followed his gaze to a few black beings that had appeared out of apparently nowhere.  
  
He nodded to all of them and bowed to one. Bulma eyed them warily, then looked at them. If this was a military-type thing, she was guessing they'd probably be the shock troop cadets. And they usually weren't the most pleasant people. And if her mythology served her correctly...  
  
"I'm glad you made it back." Again, the Namek was heavily accented, but it was the voice that presented pictures in her mind that made Bulma pay attention. He could've been speaking Greek -- well, maybe not because she KNEW Greek -- but she still would've understood perfectly.  
  
"Are those... centaurs?" she asked nervously.  
  
He had to think for a moment. "I believe that's what you call them on your planet, yes." He smiled. "I never thought that off-planet knowledge would come in handy someday."  
  
"Great. He sounds like any normal teenager. Just perfect. Can this get any worse?" Then she noticed one of the centaurs glaring at her with glowing red eyes, and another behind him (her? it?) with something crumbled in his hands. "I HAD to say that, didn't I?"  
  
**============================================**  
  
Yemma was interrupted again, and this time he wasn't so polite. He slammed the scroll down and snarled. "What the hell do you want?"  
  
A purple-haired figure raised its head. "Hello."  
  
Yemma sighed. "What now?" he asked as he called up the scroll on this man. Then he looked at the name, and back down. "Dr. Briefs?"  
  
"Yes. Where am I?"  
  
Yemma had to resist the urge to smack himself on the head. This man was one of the greatest scientists in centuries, yet he was as naive as Goku in his own way. Then he remembered they'd spent a lot of time WITH the little Saiyan.  
  
Yemma cleared his throat. "Um, this is... the Earth check-in station."  
  
"Really? Well, it IS very nice, but I need to get back. I haven't fed Pookey yet."  
  
Yemma flipped through the extra papers attached to the scroll. Then he dropped it. "Pookey?"  
  
He nodded. "My assistant."  
  
"POOKEY?!"  
  
"Yes. And my wife needs me," he added as an afterthought, scratching his head. "And Bulma will want me there when she gets back, so I think I should go now."  
  
Yemma muttered and shook his head, picking up the abandoned scroll, accidentally pushing one off. He didn't even notice as he was checking things off the list. Dr. Briefs, being the gentleman, picked it up, but curiosity got the better of him as he saw the name: Bulma Briefs.  
  
He opened the scroll, looking down the list of accomplishments fulfilled. "Invent capsules... yep... I didn't know she did that... uh huh," he muttered to himself. Then he looked down at things to come. And promptly yelled. Only then did Yemma realized the good scientist had something he shouldn't.  
  
The king picked up Dr. Briefs by the shirt and dropped him on the desk. "You're not supposed to have that," he lectured. How the man got it open was beyond him. The paper was at least three times his size.  
  
The next thing Yemma realized was that his "guest" was muttering something. A closer listen revealed the phrase that was being repeated. "My baby... my baby. She's going to be a mother... and the father's a cold-blooded killer. My baby's gonna be a mother..."  
  
Yemma patted the man's purple head with his finger. "He won't be a cold-blooded killer much longer," he said, trying to reassure him.  
  
"My baby's going to have a baby," he whimpered.  
  
Yemma rolled his eyes. "And your grandson will save the world," he said, then clapped a hand to his mouth. 'Dammit! I wasn't supposed to tell him THAT! He's not to supposed to know any of this!'  
  
Dr. Briefs' eyes were sad until they fell on a bright red sportscar. "Ooo!" he said enthusiastically. He leapt fearlessly off the desk and ended up under the hood in a matter of seconds.  
  
The ferrygirls and escorts were standing around in shocked amazement. They'd never seen a soul with so much freedom around here. Even Kami was respectful, even a little afraid, of Yemma. Yet this man was totally fearless, as if he didn't know who Yemma was.  
  
"Um, King Yemma?" one escort asked, stepping forward. He was the same one that had taken Goku and Co. to Snake Way. "Is he also going to King Kai?"  
  
"Heavens no!" That was Dr. Briefs, now trying to start the car. "Have no interest in him."  
  
"But you DO know about him?"  
  
"Of course. With my daughter's friends always dying and coming back it's all they ever talk about." He shrugged. "Does he need anything fixed up?"  
  
"Actually, his car..." the escort began before Yemma put a foot on his head, "...just got fixed." He felt the king's heel leave his hat and sighed.  
  
"You mean THIS?" Dr. Briefs shook his head. "That was a shoddy job, even to an amateur!"  
  
A burly man -- also a little wide around the waist and dressed in a striped mechanic's uniform, matching hat pulled down so no one could see his eyes -- tapped the scientist on the shoulder and spat, "There was a lot of work put into that, pal," he growled, shoving the doctor away.  
  
Dr. Briefs smiled and put a hand on the mech's arm. "I'm sure there was, but not good enough. The spark plugs were damaged, the engine was in pieces, the carburetor..." He rambled on, not even the mech understanding what he was saying. "So I fixed your mistakes," he concluded. Yemma was feeling breathless just LISTENING to him, but Dr. Briefs seemed perfectly fine.  
  
There was a few -- QUITE a few -- LOUD comments about the scientist, and Yemma finally got to his feet and yelled. Which made everyone in the room at least half deaf. Even Dr. Briefs had to put his hands over his ears. He thought that BULMA yelling was loud, but if you added Chi Chi to her, it was pretty much equivalent to Yemma.  
  
"All of you! Get back to work! There is NO WAY we'll get all of these souls processed if you don't get on it! Now get the hell out of here!" The hall was instantly empty except for the ones that were unafrad, and they were droids. "And YOU!" he said, pointing at Dr. Briefs, his voice dangerous. Then his expression looked like that of a hopeful five-year-old going on a trip to the candy store and asked -- sounding almost like Goku -- "Could you fix my other cars?"  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma backed into her captor and glared at the groping black hand. "Get away from me," she hissed, batting at his hands. Which did no good whatsoever. "Dammit! Go away before I have to--" She got cut off as a rag was stuffed into her wide-open mouth. She ripped it out and glared at the blue man hatefully. He only shrugged and looked at what Bulma guess was the leader. 'Captain, maybe?' she thought idly. The centaur's voice was nothing like that of the humanoids. It was low and coarse, a bass rumble sent over rocks. Not the most pleasant thing to hear.  
  
As Bulma crossed her arms, she noticed the centaur with the red... the red... SOMETHING in his hands watching her. She bared her teeth and hissed. That usually scared Goku away, and it worked almost as well on someone built like a horse version of King Kong. It was almost funny. 'Must be a guy,' Bulma thought as she smirked. 'I DO have that effect sometimes.' She gave up on trying to understand the strange musical language until the captain or whatever grabbed her by the neck of her vest.  
  
"Hey! What the... Get your slimy little bastard hands off of me!" she shrieked in Namek. "Now, dammit!"  
  
The centaur smiled. "Lively. Yes, this will be the perfect present for the gods."  
  
"Good for them, but don't I have a say in this?" Bulma demanded as she wriggled helplessly.  
  
"No," the blue man told her coldly.  
  
"Well, I'm going to give whoever thought of this a piece of my mind. A very LARGE piece."  
  
"You will not say what part of your body goes to who," the half-horse said in that same, icy tone. "WE will decide that, once you are done thoroughly."  
  
"That doesn't sound like a good thing," Bulma muttered to herself. "What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?"  
  
The guard crumbling the red cloth in his hands stepped forward and offered it to her. She snatched it away tossed it on the floor. "Get away," she growled through gritted teeth. A sharp kick to the shin made him obey. Bulma smirked at him even though she was sure she'd broken at least one bone in her foot.  
  
"You will wear this," the leader said, scooping up the red cloth gently, almost tenderly. He put it not-so-roughly back in her hands and smiled. A smile that sent shivers down Bulma's spine. It wasn't a friendly gesture. It was a superior look that gave her the idea this muscled moron could do pretty anything he wanted. Which could be a very bad thing.  
  
Bulma scowled. "Right. And pigs can fly." Then she tried very hard not to think of Oolong.  
  
"They can," a centaur said. "I have many of them at my own home. But how does an off-worlder know such things?" Bulma heaved an exasperated sigh. 'I forgot. They're not from Earth. Who knew that pigs could fly?'  
  
The captain used his tail -- decorated with gold and silver badges, chains, and other types of things -- to whack his soldier. The one who had spoken didn't bat an eye at the hit, but he nodded to show he was sorry. "Now. Put them on."  
  
Bulma paled. "Here?"  
  
"I don't see why not," the leader said patiently. "Now do as I say."  
  
Bulma defiantly threw down the clothes and stomped over to the centaur. Leaning in close, so her nose was only about three inches from his -- even though she was still a good foot shorter than him -- and whispered. "You don't scare me pal. I've put up with Vegeta, and Frieza for that matter, so you better think again if you expect to scare me. Try again, and this time go to intimidation school."  
  
The names she rattles off shut the men up for a good minute while they gawked at her. "You've met Lord Frieza?" the captain finally croaked out.  
  
"Would you like to know what he was like before or AFTER he was killed?" Bulma asked sweetly, looking at her nails. Then she smiled up at them and shrugged.  
  
"You... a weakling, killed Lord Frieza?"  
  
Bulma laughed at their astonished faces. "Me? Hell no! I just like WATCHING Frieza get his ass kicked by Vegeta and Goku."  
  
"Vegeta defeated him?"  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Where have you people been? Or are you just to stupid to listen right? GOKU killed him. Vegeta roughed him up a little before he died."  
  
"You said he was traveling with you," the guard said. "Then how is he dead by Frieza's hand?"  
  
"I never said he STAYED that way, now did I?" Bulma asked in her talking-to-strange-alien-idiots voice. "He was brought back to life with the dragonballs."  
  
He eyed her strangely. "How is such a thing possible?"  
  
"Three wishes. For all your trading, you sure don't get around a lot, do you?" She put her hands on her hips and smiled. "Let me take you through this one step at a time. Another idiot came to Earth and tried to kill my friend Goku. Then he found out he was an alien from a race that loves to blow things up. Well, he died, then Vegeta and his muscle-bound, huge, bald, cretin with the intelligence of a walnut came by and killed the guy who made OUR dragonballs work. So, off to Namek we go, insult Frieza a little, bring thousands of people back to life, and Vegeta gets a free ride back to Earth since he actually turned out to be such a nice guy. Get it now?" As they stood there, dumbfounded, Bulma sweetly took the captain by his vest thing, pulled him a little closer and hissed, "Now let me go!"  
  
The captain shook his head to clear it and glared at her. "This one is brave as well. She will make a fine gift to the gods."  
  
"Dammit!" Bulma screamed as she hauled off and landed a perfectly-aimed punch in the guy's left eye. "Get me the hell out of here!"  
  
Before she could hurt the guard again, a little green frog-type woman scuttled out and grabbed Bulma's wrist. Bulma looked down at the wet-looking hand, only to find that it was indeed dry, and that the thing holding her back was barely taller than Gohan.  
  
Bulma tried to shake her way loose. "Get off of me!" she hissed again, pulling vainly on her arm. "Now!"  
  
"I suggest you do what they say," she said in what sounded like perfect German. "Unless you want to be hurt when they decide to retaliate."  
  
"Meaning what?" Bulma demanded in Namek, then switched to German, as the woman was using. "Well?"  
  
"Either you put that on, or they put it on you," she answered simply. "And they're not gentle OR modest about it."  
  
"Great," Bulma moaned. "I'm stuck in a city full of guys like Master Roshi. Can this get any worse?" Then she unfolded the dress. "Uh-uh! No way! In your dreams pal!" she yelled at the guy who'd handed it to her. "Even if I OWNED a string bikini, it would have more cloth than this!" She shook her fist -- the one that happened to have the dress in it -- at the guys. "No chance in hell are you going to get me into this thing!"  
  
They smirked and advanced on her, but the green lady stepped in front of her and said something in that musical language. Bulma stopped, entirely sick of not understanding what they were saying about her. When they frog woman turned around, she smiled -- an action that would've sent most grown men running for their teddy bears if Bulma hadn't guessed what it was -- and said, "Follow me."  
  
"Why should I trust you? You showed up out of nowhere, I have no idea who you are, WHAT you are, where you came from, and how you know and Earth language, and you ask me to trust you!"  
  
"Unless, of course, you want to stay HERE and change," she said over her shoulder. Bulma followed without another word.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Krillin wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and looked out over the sandy waves. "Are you SURE it's this way? All I've seen so far is more sand than I ever thought was possible to have in one place."  
  
"Shut up, Cueball," Vegeta ordered. "You want to get that woman back, don't you?"  
  
"Have to. Unlike you guys, I'm not used to spending years on alien planets, and I don't want to take the opportunity to GET used to it."  
  
"Where is this place, Vegeta?" Goku asked as the wind wipped up a small wirlwind of sand that ended up playing through his hair. "I don't see anything."  
  
"Patience, Kakorrot," Vegeta said, crossing his arms. "You'll see it soon enough." Even as he spoke, a zigzagging line appeared in the sand, and it began to seep down into the crack. "In there," Vegeta said as he floated down, avoiding as much sand as he could.  
  
Goku and Krillin followed, but Vegeta was already gone. "Guess we're on our own for now," Krillin said. "Damn Vegeta. Where the hell are we?"  
  
Goku looked up and saw the ceiling had resealed itself. "I don't know, Krillin," he admitted. "Come on. You take one tunnel, and I'll look the other way. If you find Bulma, get her out to the ship."  
  
"What if I run into Vegeta?"  
  
Goku grinned. "Tell him to hurry his ass up. Then run like hell."  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma began to pace. "I can't belive this!" she muttered as she walked back toward the flap of the tent. "Why me? Of all the things that had to go wrong, I just HAD to pick the planet where they do sacrfices."  
  
"Sit down. You're not going anywhere for a while," the green woman said, wringing the water out of a cloth.  
  
"And you! YOU are royally getting on my nerves! Who the hell are you anyway?"  
  
"I would tell you my name, but not only would you not be able to pronounce it, that would give you no information. So, I must tell you my history to answer that question."  
  
"You would make a great laywer. You beat around the bush with even the most simple questions," Bulma shot back. "Fine. Tell me what I can call you then."  
  
"Listen first. Then decide."  
  
Bulma sat back, crossed her arms over her -- mostly bared -- chest and glared at her. "I'm listening."  
  
"You see, I was born a shape-shifter. I could become anything at any time, only you can't fool anyone. There's a mark any other would recognize. A species that looked like this came to my planet to trade, only they weren't interested in the goods we had to offer. They took us instead."  
  
"And they would recognize you by that mark," Bulma said, then shut her mouth again. "Sorry."  
  
"You're right. So when they took us, we didn't know what to do. We've never changed into anything of our own imaginations, only things we've seen. So, when we first saw weapons it was a great victory for us. We changed into this species' machineries and attacked. Only... we lost. I'm the only one that survived the battle because I was still too young to stay in one shape for too long. As time went on, I chose this shape because it doesn't need air to breathe and can survive almost anywhere. When I came to this planet, I was going to become a 'gift' to their gods as well, untilI showed them my talents." She shrugged and smiled a little. "I guess they liked what I had to offer. Right now I take care of the guests and gifts until they are ready to be dealt with. A nanny of sorts."  
  
Bulma sat up. "Then how do you know German?"  
  
She looked throughful. "I'd forgotten what it was called, but I made stops on various other planets before I came across this one. Germany was my home for many years."  
  
Bulma grunted. "So there's more than one race of alien running around Earth. I wonder who else used the planet as an intergalactic hotel." Then she looked thoughtful. "I guess then I'll call you Granny."  
  
She cocked her head to one side. "I guess that's fitting. Granny. Yes."  
  
"Granny, could I ask you a favor?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Could you get me the hell out of here?!"  
  
**============================================**  
  
Krillin shook his head and rubbed his eyes. 'What was that old movie called?' he wondered as he crawled along. 'Oh, yeah. The Mummy. I think they used this for the set.' Only it was too small for even HIM to stand up in.  
  
He saw light and began to crawl faster, only to bang his head on something unseen in the darkness. "It just HAD to be a pipe, didn't it? I just HAD to pick the tunnel that has all the plumbing in it, didn't I?"  
  
Looking down, he was amazed at how vast the room was. He could barely see the opposite wall, and the only thing that indicated there was anything at all in the whiteness was a multi-colored tent that looked like it could belong to an Arabian high priest.  
  
He slowed his fall and hunched against the wall. Then he slapped himself on the forehead. He stood out like he was flashing neon lights announcing his arrival in here. As long as he found Bulma. He could hear her yelling, but where was she?  
  
Krillin took a deep breath and lifted off the ground. There was nothing to be seen from the floor level, especially when he was that close to it. 'Guess she must be in there,' he thought to himself. It was never hard to find Bulma. All you had to do was listen for the largest concentration of noise in the vicinity. Which happened to be the tent.  
  
He landed softly and pushed the first see-through curtain aside. "Bulma?" Are you in there?" When silence fell, she pushed on. "Bulma?"  
  
"Krillin!" Then she looked down at herself and pulled Granny in front of her. Krillin suddenly felt a strange kinship with the rocks at his feet, which he studied very closely. "Get Goku."  
  
"Yeah, all right," he said, backing away. "Should I warn him?"  
  
"I don't care! Just get him! I want out of here BEFORE I get roasted and served at the latest delicacy!"  
  
Krillin turned around to get out and flew back in, hiding behind Bulma. Granny turned to face him. "THAT'S a Saiyan?" she asked incredulously.  
  
"Me?" Krillin laughed. "Right. Me, the 'pathetic Earthling' is gonna suddenly become one of the 'mighty Saiyan warriors.' As if."  
  
Bulma shoved the woman and glared at Krillin. "What now, moron?"  
  
"You expect me to get past all those guards? How?"  
  
Bulma peeked out and watched the centaurs line up. She smiled and whistled. "All this for little old me?"  
  
"Bulma. Question: How the hell do you expect me to get help if I'm gonna get KILLED?"  
  
She studied him. "Good question." She paced for a second, then her eyes lit up. Krillin took a step back at the look on his friend's face. "Which way are you going?" she asked eagerly.  
  
He pointed. "I'm afraid to ask, but why?"  
  
"I'm going to get a diversion. Stay behind me and then go once dumbest and his stooges get out of the way." Krillin hid behind her as requested, so Bulma took a deep breath and yelled at the top of her lungs: "Saiyans!"  
  
Three of the centaurs immediately showed up in front of her. "Where?" the oldest one asked.  
  
Bulma pointed a shaking finger the same way Krillin had. "That way."  
  
He looked at her, then gave an order in the other language. The six of them took off. In the same direction. She gaped at them and Krillin groaned.  
  
"That was NOT what I wanted," Bulma yelled after them. "You were SUPPOSED to go the OTHER way!"  
  
"They're warriors," Granny said calmly. "They will track down the enemy, not run from them."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me that before?" Then she waved her hand and shook her head. "No. Wait. I already know the answer to that. Better question. Why are you telling me all this?"  
  
Granny shrugged. "I have no orders not to. Besides, you won't be able to use it against them after tomorrow."  
  
"Why tomorrow?" Bulma asked before Krillin could say whatever his mouth had been open to say.  
  
"It's the full moon."  
  
"O, yeah. THAT explains it," she muttered.  
  
"We only have the full moon here once every three years," she said patiently. "Then we give living gifts to the gods. More like messengers, really. The more lively the messenger, the more likely the gods will respond to that energy."  
  
Bulma turned to Krillin, grabbed his shoulders, and shook him. "You've got to get me out of here!" she yelled frantically.  
  
"Why? I couldn't understand a word you two just said."  
  
"Just do it, dammit! I'll... I'll... keep Vegeta from attacking you and calling you Cueball!"  
  
"How in hell do you think you're going to do THAT?"  
  
"I don't know, but I will! Just help me!"  
  
"Fine," he muttered. "I'll send Goku back."  
  
"Thank you Krillin! Thank you, thank you!"  
  
He nodded and left Bulma to argue with the frog lady. Krillin looked to the space the centaurs had left behind, then noticed there were still more there. And they could shoot fire. And they were very fast. And strong. Krillin ran like hell.  
  
When he couldn't run efficiently due to the scattered clumps of... whatever, he took to the shy. It wasn't much better, but at least he didn't have to weave and dodge as much. He paused for a moment at the diverging tunnels. 'Goku. One with less noise,' he instantly thought as he took the left one. He thought he'd lost the monsters when he slammed into Vegeta.  
  
Stunned for a moment, Krillin dropped and put a hand to his head. 'Duh. It's less noise here because Vegeta KILLED them all already!'  
  
"Cueball! What are you running from?"  
  
Krillin got to his feet and turned around. "Them?"  
  
Vegeta looked at Krillin with a smirk. "Running from deer, Cueball?" Then he noticed the deer were pretty much human from the waist up and could shoot fireballs, not to mention they had something that looked like phasers from Star Trek.  
  
"Yeah, Cactus Head. Running from deer." He took another step back and growled at them. "Where's Goku anyway?"  
  
As if on cue, the wall exploded in, and a few humanoid-type things flew through the hole, followed by a centaur or two and Goku. He looked down at them, pushed them out of the way and smiled. Turning to his best friend, he asked, "So, what'd I miss?"  
  
The centaurs obviously weren't used to getting their asses kicked by a guy who looked like he'd bruise if you looked at him too hard, so they hauled tail. Only to come charging back with some huge bluish-black thing that filled the entire tunnel behind them.  
  
"Well, Goku. I found Bulma," Krillin said as he dodged one of the alien's tendrils, the other one pinning Goku to the wall. "She asked for you to come and get her."  
  
"Krillin, I AM a little busy here," Goku grunted, pushing the suffocating arm away, his hair already shimmering gold.  
  
"Where's the woman?" Vegeta demanded.  
  
"Down past big ugly and hang a left at the first huge black thing that looks like a cross between a centaur and a troll. Can't miss her."  
  
Vegeta powered up and prepared to plow his way through the fighting monstrosities. "I'll find her myself."  
  
As he got past the first, second and sixth line of defense, Krillin chuckled. "If either of you SURVIVE after you find her that is."  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma furiously paced back and forth. She had been determined to wait until Goku got back, but her sitting still had lasted a grand total of seven minutes. Not that pacing was much better, but at least she was moving while she ranted.  
  
"You might as well make yourself comfortable," Granny was saying the next time Bulma bothered to pay attention. "I already told you you're not going anywhere."  
  
"Great! So I'm stuck here in this hell-hole with a little bald idiot, and two Saiyans who can't transform anymore and all three of them probably need all the time they can get to find their way back! KAMI!"  
  
Bulma went on, but Granny gave up trying to understand Spanish. Instead she fetched a full-length mirror from somewhere behind the flaps of the tent and set it down behind Bulma. The Earthling's raving stopped as soon as she caught sight of herself in it.  
  
The peace only lasted a minute. Even though she gave a tomato a run for its money, she still continued to shout at no one in particular. "What! KRILLIN saw me in this! And Goku.... well, never mind Goku, but KRILLIN saw me like this! What did I do to deserve this? What?"  
  
"They gave you that so you would look nice when you presented our message to the gods."  
  
"Nice! All right, I look a little more than nice, I admit that. But NO one else is going to see me like this! Not even my HUSBAND will see me like this. Once I get one anyway."  
  
_[Cue Vegeta. Enter: stage left.]  
Yeah, yeah, we know. REALLY bad joke. But would you be able to resist either?_  
  
Vegeta could clearly hear Bulma's yelling through the sounds of destruction coming from the general direction of Goku. He shook his head. 'Doesn't that damn woman EVER shut up?' he asked himself mentally. He shook his head in silent answer and made his way to Bulma, still trying to decide if it was worth kidnapping one of these inhabitants and forcing them to take the remainder of the group back to Earth after he killed her.  
  
Bulma sat sulkily in the corner, knees tucked under her chin and kept in place by her arms wrapped around them. She glared again at Granny, who was trying to mimic a lullaby, and failing with flying colors.  
  
"Give it up," Bulma said finally. "If you can't get it right, keep quiet."  
  
"Strange words coming from a scientist, don't you think? If the experiments fail, try again. Isn't that what you've always been taught?"  
  
"What does science have to do with being tone deaf and not able to carry a tune?"  
  
The only reply was a scream. Bulma leapt up at the sight of pointy black hair.  
  
"Goku! Get me out of here!" Then she stopped in her tracks as the face connected to the hair came into view. "Vegeta! What the hell are YOU doing here?"  
  
"Vegeta?" Granny asked, her still open mouth ready to yell again. Bulma smoothly pulled her over and put a hand over the frog lady's mouth, to keep her quiet and also to hide herself from the Saiyan's probing eye.  
  
"Where's Goku?" she asked casually, adjusting her grip on Granny, and accidentally covering the pug nose. "Is he with you?"  
  
"Kakorrot and Cueball are busy. I came to get you."  
  
'Great,' Bulma thought sarcastically. 'It's only my luck that VEGETA has to come along and be the knight in shining armor. Only his is probably all rusty because he doesn't NEED it.' She scowled as Granny wiggled. "I told that idiot to get Goku."  
  
Vegeta crossed his arms. "I told you Kakorrot is busy. Now are you coming or not?"  
  
"Get Goku."  
  
"Woman, are you deaf? He's busy."  
  
"Are you deaf? I said go get him. I don't CARE if he's busy or not!"  
  
Vegeta advanced on her, slowly. Bulma back up, dragging Granny with her. "Woman, you are coming with me whether you want to or not."  
  
"No. She'll stop you," Bulma bluffed. Vegeta raised one eyebrow and smirked. Bulma looked down and noticed Granny was slipping. She took her hands away and Granny fell. "Dammit! You weren't supposed to do that!" She stood, hands on hips and glaring at the fallen caretaker. Then she self-consciously looked up and crossed her arms slowly across her chest. "I'm ready to go now," she said sweetly.  
  
Vegeta kept walking toward her. "About time."  
  
When he was an arm's length away, Bulma took another step back. "What do you think you're doing?"  
  
He took another step forward and swooped her into his arms. She immediately started yelling as he took to the air. Once they were outside, he kept going higher and dropped her at least thirty feet before she shut up. "Well, how the hell do you think we were supposed to get out of there?" he snapped once she'd calmed down enough to talk.  
  
"Walk, like NORMAL people!" she yelled back over the howl of wind. Then she crossed her arms again and tried to curl into a ball for warmth. It was freezing up that high, and her outfit wasn't exactly fit for Arctic Circle temperatures.  
  
Vegeta deliberately did not look at her. For the first time since he'd unofficially met her, she didn't seem like a loud -- well, scratch that idea -- rambunctious idiot that ran around like a chicken with its head cut off. Dressed like that, she reminded him very much of the Saiyan women back on his home planet. He would almost say she looked respectable in that. And Bulma, being Bulma, would disagree. He smirked at that thought as well. That would be one interesting argument...  
  
Bulma noticed the half-smile on Vegeta's face and tried to control her heartbeat. Whatever could make him smile would be sure to scare her witless. That much she was absolutely positive of even after only spending a month with the arrogant Saiyan prince.  
  
Vegeta landed next to the ship and stared at it, thinking most of the pieces were back in place. He blinked a few times, but nothing changed. Who had fixed it? He was so preoccupied he didn't remember he was still holding Bulma.  
  
Which is why he almost blasted Krillin straight to King Kai when he landed behind them and instantly began his teasing. "Ah, so the lovebirds finally decided to come back. You know Vegeta, it's traditional to carry her INTO the house."  
  
Vegeta abruptly dropped her as he turned around. "What was that Cueball?" he demanded, a ki ball forming in his left hand. He smiled satanically and held up his glowing palm. "I didn't quite hear."  
  
"You should've," Krillin said shakily. "Aren't Saiyan ears supposed to be better than humans'?"  
  
His answer was interrupted by Bulma shouting, "Hey! Who fixed the ship?"  
  
Krillin looked past the older warrior, then blushed and turned his back. "I don't know," he muttered.  
  
"Hey, Krillin. Where's Goku? We can go home!" Bulma was nearly dancing in joy.  
  
"We can?" Goku asked, swinging down from the top of the ship. "Great!" He flipped down, staying in midair then flying back up into the ship. "Come on!"  
  
Bulma used the door while the two boys flew up. She went to the controls, then slammed her fist into them, not caring about the damage to either.  
  
"What now, woman?"  
  
Bulma glared at him, then motioned to the controls. "We can't go anywhere. Whoever fixed the damn thing forgot something. I don't know the language." 


	7. Part 7

Bulma slid down the ladder and tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. The red, green and blue candy-cane striped ladder was made of whatever Vegeta had dug up on his rounds to pick up food other than the huge deer-thing they'd caught the other day.  
  
"Hey, Bulma," Goku said, getting up and grinning at her. "How's it going?"  
  
"Pretty good," she said, smiling back. She was tired, sweaty, and covered with all kinds of dirt and grease from various jobs around the ship. but she did feel pretty damn good.  
  
Krillin gave her a whistle as he came around the corner. He grinned and winked, saying, "Yo, Goku! Send her my way! What'll Chi Chi say?"  
  
Goku grinned back mischievously. "She don't even gotta know."  
  
Bulma laughed. It had become so boring she accepted the playful flirting from the boys, and even joined in after a while. It didn't help that the rest of her clothes either had even LESS material than what she currently wore, or she just didn't have any more. So she was stuck like that until they got back to Earth.  
  
Vegeta didn't participate in the playful bantering, but Bulma couldn't miss the gazes he gave her. Finally she stood next to him and smiled. "I guess I might as well ask you what kind of foods are here."  
  
"What are you talking about, woman?" he muttered around a leg of something.  
  
"Well, we're going to be stuck here for a long time, so I might as well know what the hell I'm going to eat." She leaned on the top of his head and asked, "Right?"  
  
"Just because you look somewhat respectful like that doesn't mean I'll change my opinion of you."  
  
Bulma's lower jaw dropped. "I look WHAT? I look like a SLUT and you're calling it RESPECTFUL?!"  
  
"Yes." He never once missed a beat between his answers and eating. At least Bulma could see his hands when they moved. "And what's a slut?" Bulma groaned and smacked herself on the forehead, turning around to pace.  
  
Krillin tapped Vegeta on the shoulder. "How WAS it on your planet anyway?"  
  
Vegeta eyed Bulma and nodded. "Actually, that was dress for formal occasions. They wore less around the house and casual occasions."  
  
Krillin grinned and leaned on the table. "You SURE they're no Saiyan women left?" he joked.  
  
Bulma slapped him casually upside the head. "Krillin, shut up," she said lazily. "But really, Vegeta. You think I look respectable?"  
  
"Of all the things I DON'T do woman, I do not lie."  
  
Krillin raised an eyebrow but didn't say a word. He may not lie, but he had more ways of selectively telling the truth than even Goku did.  
  
"That didn't directly answer my question."  
  
He looked straight at her. "Yes, I think you look respectable. Now will you get away, woman, and let me finish my lunch?"  
  
"I have to work on those controls anyway. Might as well get something out of spending the rest of my life with the three most annoying men that ever lived."  
  
Vegeta grunted in response and turned away. Goku was sitting on the door they had yet to figure out how to close. He was a little slow, but he didn't miss the glances Vegeta was sending Bulma. And she looked at him the same way sometimes. When she wasn't about to wring his damn neck that is.  
  
"What's up, Goku?" Krillin asked as he sat next to his best friend.  
  
"Nothing much, he answered. "Just thinking."  
  
"New hobby?" Krillin grinned as he tapped Goku's arm. "And did you remember to read the instruction manual this time? Thinking's a hard job."  
  
Goku grinned back. "Nope. This one I can do all by myself. No instructions needed."  
  
"Wow! You gotta teach me this one."  
  
"It's free too."  
  
"Jeez! What's the secret? What's it feel like? What--" Krillin couldn't finish the sentence because by then both boys were howling with laughter. It was so stupid and so lame and they were so bored it was funny.  
  
"Kakorrot! What's going on?" Vegeta yelled over to them, cutting into their laughing fit.  
  
"Nothing!"  
  
"It's an awful lot of noise to be nothing, shit-for-brains!"  
  
"You wouldn't understand! It's for people with a sense of humor!" Goku called over to the other Saiyan. Vegeta only grunted and shook his head. "By the way, Vegeta! I want to talk to you later!"  
  
"Why? If you want to threaten me, just do it now. It will have the same result now as it will later."  
  
"That's not it. Just meet me in the training room."  
  
Vegeta debated saying no, but then maybe he could get Goku to explain these strange feelings he was having. Of all the things he knew about Goku was that he wouldn't tell a secret. He was able to be trusted. Plus, his curiosity won out and he finally nodded. "Fine Kakorrot. I'll see you later."  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma sighed as she stepped out of the shower. It felt so good to be clean again, but she could swear the buzzer for the viewscreen was going off again. By the time she got out there, Chi Chi's face was on the screen and she was looking for anyone. "Never fails," Bulma muttered to herself. "You get in the tub and someone wants to talk." She wrapped the towel even tighter around her and plopped down at the screen. "So, what's up now?"  
  
"Bulma, why are you soaking wet?" was Chi Chi's first question as soon as she stopped ranting long enough to realize someone had come to talk to her.  
  
"I just got out of the shower. You know, even when I'm this far from home, the phone STILL rings when I get in the shower."  
  
"Sorry. Where are the others?"  
  
"Probably out killing something. Why?"  
  
"I don't know. Routine question, I guess. Old habits die hard."  
  
"Tell me about it," Bulma muttered. She was going through her own bad habit of trying to pick up other men while Yamcha was currently unavailable to her. "I NEED to get OUT of here, Chi Chi. I swear, I'm starting to think VEGETA is nice."  
  
Chi Chi's face paled within the space of five seconds. "Vegeta? Nice? Those two words don't belong in the same STORY let alone the same sentence."  
  
"I know, I know. But he is for some reason. He's almost... HUMAN at times. I swear, if he WAS human, once you got past the cold-blooded killer thing, he'd be a really sweet guy." Then she looked at her friend's astonished and disbelieving face. "Don't mind me. I'm going stir crazy. I don't know what I'm saying."  
  
"It sounds like you're falling for him."  
  
Bulma jumped out of her seat. "You've GOT to be kidding me! Me! And the arrogant Prince Blockhead? I don't THINK so Chi Chi!"  
  
"Just a thought," Chi Chi said innocently.  
  
"Yeah, well, keep thoughts like that to yourself. It's bad enough here with three... MEN without assuming there's a romance too. Three guys and they're all idiots and morons. Not to mention one's married and the other two are shorter than I am and twice as rude. Why me?" she moaned.  
  
"No Vegeta! Don't shoot them! They're the good guys!"  
  
Bulma looked up at Krillin's warning. "What the hell--" She looked out the window and felt like she'd just landed in OZ. About fifty munchkins were gathered around the ship, while Goku and Vegeta were on guard and Krillin was greeting them.  
  
Bulma smiled as she saw the leaders. They saw her and the one that had first trusted her saw and waved up at her. "This day just got a little better."  
  
Krillin was busy filling the guys in on their friends from the invisible ship and the run-in with the people from it. The superior... officers?... ignored story time and walked past the three boys to get into the ship.  
  
As they climbed the platform, then the ladder, Bulma stood at the top to greet them. When the two teenage leaders got to her, Bulma took a step back and nodded to them. Then she said, "You know, you guys really get on my neves. Now, how about programming the controls in MY language when you fix it?"  
  
"Yeah," Krillin chimed in as he climbed up the ladder. "There's at least ten from earth she knows. Pick one."  
  
The boy shot him a look then turned back to Bulma. "I'm sorry. We tried, but it wouldn't accept the programming."  
  
"Then put it back in Namek or something! Just do it so I can get the hell out of here!" Bulma raged, throwing up her hands.  
  
"I don't know Namek," he said calmly.  
  
"Then pick something else," Bulma hissed, leaning in close. "Dammit!" Then she blinked, leaned back and grinned. "Wait. Never mind. You're going to teach me whatever language you programmed it in."  
  
Krillin rolled his eyes. "O, brother. Here we go." He jammed his hands in his homemade pockets and turned to go back to Goku.  
  
Bulma grabbed Krillin by the nape of his neck and spun him around. "And YOU'RE going to help him fix this damn place. I am going to TRY and find something that actually COVERS me."  
  
Krillin paled a little as Bulma walked into the bedroom. The boy that was talking to her nudged him. "What?"  
  
Krillin looked up and smiled wryly. "Her clothes got torn up when we ran into you guys the FIRST time. The scraps are holding the sink pipes together." Then he winced and paled even further as Bulma's cry out outrage at not having anything decent to wear floated out to them. "But don't tell HER that. PLEASE."  
  
Goku -- wondering what happened to Bulma for her to be making THIS much noise -- floated up to see her standing in the doorway with arms crossed and foot tapping. Then he looked at Krillin and guessed the monk was in deep shit.  
  
"Hey, Bulma," he said, trying to direct the monster's attention away from Krillin, "I thought you were going to get changed."  
  
She glared at him with a scowl that challenged Vegeta's worst. "No clothes," she grunted between gritted teeth.  
  
"Oh." Goku looked behind him because by now Vegeta had come to float behind him, interested by the conversation.  
  
"She needs new clothes," he agreed, stepping into the ship. "That much I agree with."  
  
"Probably the only thing," Krillin muttered to himself.  
  
Bulma looked at Vegeta and put her hands on her hips. "As much as I agree with you, why the hell are YOU the one that says that?"  
  
Without pausing, Vegeta marched over to her and stripped off most of what little cloth she had left. He smirked at her expression.  
  
Finally, she got herself together and managed her get her mouth next to his ear before shouting at the top of her lungs, "What the FUCK do you think you're doing?"  
  
"You were making me uncomfortable dressed like that." He shrugged.  
  
"YOU were uncomfortable. Has it ever occurred to you that I might be uncomfortable wearing MORE than this before? Now why in hell are you uncomfortable? I thought Saiyan women dressed like this!"  
  
"They do. For formal occasions. You were dressed up and I don't have my formal armor," he stated simply.  
  
"Oh, is that all?" she asked sweetly. Then she kicked him again. "Dammit! NOBODY even knew that before now, and nobody except you CARES!"  
  
"That's the point. I DO care."  
  
"I DIDN'T until you took it upon yourself to treat me like a living mannequin! But NOW I do. NOW I want to kill you!"  
  
"Don't bother to waste the energy, woman. We both know you can't."  
  
Bulma was so pissed off she couldn't answer him. Finally she just kicked him one more time for good measure and growled as she tried to keep her pride inside the hurricane she was creating.  
  
Krillin couldn't move either. "Wow... I mean... wow! Vegeta, you did it! It's a miracle!" He shook his hand at the older warrior and grinned, still keeping an eye on Bulma. "How did you...."  
  
"Do WHAT, Cueball?" Vegeta asked, slightly annoyed.  
  
"You shocked her speechless! Man! I didn't think it was POSSIBLE!"  
  
While Krillin blabbed on, Vegeta tuned him out and smirked to himself. While he WAS uncomfortable with Bulma dressed up and himself not, it hadn't been too bad to see more of her either.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Gohan -- bored out of his mind because King Kai had yet to return -- began to pace again as he looked for Bubbles, or even Gregory. At least he could play with the cheerful monkey or talk with that annoying cricket. Having nothing to do was starting to get to him.  
  
He sighed as he sat down against the tree and closed his eyes. This was going to be a long day; the least he could do was take a nap before his new trainer came home. A noise alerted him to someone coming, and he instantly jumped to his feet, smile pasted on his face.  
  
"King Kai! I've been waiting! Where were you?" he asked as he rushed toward the sound.  
  
The clattering of falling pans redirected his course to the house. Grinning, the little warrior leapt through the small window and into King Kai's rocking chair, displacing Bubbles.  
  
The monkey howled, making Gohan look up at the figure in the doorway. He stood and brushed his clothes off, head cocked to one side as he looked more closely at the shadowed man.  
  
"Hey. Where's King Kai?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes with the back of one hand. "You're not him."  
  
A deep chuckle made its way to Gohan's ears. "I don't know, little one, and I don't particurally care." He stepped forward and smirked at the little boy. "This is MY place now."  
  
"No it's not," Gohan protested, clenching his fist. The voice was familiar, but he couldn't remember where he'd heard it before. "This belongs to King Kai."  
  
"I just told you, not anymore." The guy took another step into the light and Gohan saw purple skin and strong boots that ended about halfway up VERY muscualr calves. The armor flapped down to about mid-thigh and rose to broad shoulders supporting a heavy horned head.  
  
"Captain Ginyu!" Gohan growled at the recognition of the annoying bastard that had kept his father out of the way. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Captain Ginyu smirked at the young Saiyan. "How many times do I have to repeat myself, boy? I live here now."  
  
"Bullshit," Gohan spat, then instantly clapped a hand over his mouth.  
  
At that the mutant leader laughed outright. "So, the shrimp's got a mouth on him, huh?"  
  
Gohan didn't hear the taunting. He was too worried about what his mother would do if she heard him talking like that. "She'll fry me," he muttered to himself. "Then she'll kill Mr. Piccolo for teaching it to me." Then he paused and thought about it a little more. "And Vegeta," he added as an afterthought.  
  
The captain only heard part of it, but that was more than enough. "Sorry, kid. Your mommy ain't gonna save you this time."  
  
Gohan looked up. "She couldn't if she tried," he admitted. "But I don't expect her to. Besides, how much can you posibly do? I'm already dead." Then he looked him over and grinned. "And you're not in my dad's body anymore. Guess you got yours back, huh?"  
  
Ginyu grunted and smirked. "But your dad's not here to save your ass this time either, kid."  
  
"I don't need him to. I can beat you all by myself," Gohan bluffed. One that didn't work.  
  
The older fighter laughed. "You couldn't even defeat Raccoome! What makes you think you can best me?"  
  
Gohan clenched his fist and didn't answer. Little trickles of blood ran down his fingers from where his nails bit into his palm in anger, but he ingnored that as well. The only thing he could focus on was Captain Ginyu and the pain he'd caused Goku in the fight.  
  
"Having second thoughts, little one?" the Ginyu leader taunted, seeing the rage in Gohan's eyes. "You know, your dad had such a hard time with me. I don't think you'll be able to handle it. Maybe you should ask Raccoome for a rematch before you challenge me!"  
  
Gohan growled a little. He could almost hear himself chanting, "You hurt my dad" just like in the fight with Raditz. But he stayed silent. Captain Ginyu hadn't seen his power and was overly confident. He vaguely remembered Vegeta telling Goku it was deadly to underestimate an enemy; a lesson Gohan was determined to teach the cocky Captain.  
  
"Well, now, little boy, if you want to fight, here I am," he said, spreading his hands."But you'll have to come to me."  
  
Gohan stepped back into a stance he used while fighting Piccolo: it made him look like a pathetic little kid who was trying to be impressive; perfect to get the Ginyu's guard down.  
  
"I told you, boy, you'll have to come to me. I'm not moving until you do." He chuckled again and smiled grotesquely.  
  
Gohan powered up slowly, noticing the absence of the other man's scouter. What he ddin't know was if the now dead Captain could sense power levels. Better safe than sorry. For now.  
  
"Come now, child. I thought you were like your father in some ways, but being a coward wasn't what I thought you to be." Gohan's eyes widened at the comment, but Captain Ginyu interpreted as getting to him by insulting Gohan himself instead of Goku. "By the way, isn't your mommy worried about you?"  
  
"She's always worried about me," Gohan said through gritted teeth. "So what else is new?" His hair was flickering gold every once in a while, and each new insult to Goku or Chi Chi only lessened the time between the flashes.  
  
"Really? Her poor baby, off to fight? You should go back and sit on her lap. Where you belong," he hissed, hands on hips and leaning over.  
  
That struck home. Gohan launched himself at the taller fighter and knocked the unsuspecting Ginyu backward. Unable to be seen because of his speed, Gohan attacked again from behind and landed on top of the cocky Captain, pinning both arms behind the huge armored back and sitting on them. His slight weight was more than enough to hold the basketball-sized hands on the flaps guarding the shoulders.  
  
Ginyu struggled, but the way Gohan had him pinned, he couldn't bring his arms down to get leverage and he couldn't push the tiny Saiyan off with his hands up to his neck.  
  
Gohan leaned over and grinned in the outraged purple face. "Gotcha," he chided. "Since Mommy's not here, I guess I'll have to use you instead. That's where I BELONG, isn't it?"  
  
"Damn you, kid! Get the hell off of me!"  
  
Gohan bounced on his arms a bit, almost breaking both. "You should know better than to use language like that around children," he lectured.  
  
"Hell, you USE it!"  
  
"I know," Gohan said innocently. Then he jumped on his attacker's arms again and pushed them up even higher so that now the large hands reasted on the back of their owners' head. "It's because I've hung around one too many ASSHOLES like you."  
  
A bright flash of light lit Gohan's view and he ducked just in time to avoid the huge thing someone had thrown at him. Gohan didn't hesitate. He turned and attacked.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma tried helplessly to repeat the fast-moving dialogue of this strange new language. "Dammit!" she swore after a few minutes. "Why can't I do this? Every other one I was able to at least SAY!"  
  
"You're used to Earth languages. They're very different from mine," he explained patiently. "Mine is much harder because they're sounds you've never heard before. Not only is this a language from off-world, it's from a completely different galaxy. It takes a lot of time. WE had a hard time with it, and it's our native language!"  
  
"Stupid woman," Vegeta muttered in Saiyan. "It's not THAT difficult."  
  
Bulma whirled around to face him. "What did you say?"  
  
Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "You understood me?" he asked incredulously.  
  
"No. Which is WHY I was asking." She turned to the boy and said, "That sounds like a cross between this one and yours."  
  
He followed Bulma's gaze at Vegeta with a thoughtful one of his own. "You're right. Should you learn that one, speaking mine would only be the next step."  
  
Krillin covered his eyes and sat down, shaking his head. "THAT'S an offer she can't refuse."  
  
Bulma's eyes widened in excitement as she latched herself onto Vegeta's arm. "YOU'RE going to teach me that," she said in her best wheedling voice.  
  
"Says who, woman?"  
  
"You DO want to get off this planet, right?" Bulma asked as she batted her eyes.  
  
Vegeta crossed his arms -- with Bulma still attached with an iron grip -- and shook his head. "Wait until we get to your planet, woman," he muttered.  
  
"All right! Gentlemen, start your teaching!"  
  
Goku wiped the sweat off his forehead as he hauled food up to the ship. "What's going on?" he asked Krillin, who still looked like he was hiding.  
  
"Bulma's learning two other languages."  
  
Vegeta noticed Goku and scowled at him. "Kakorrot, come here," he ordered. "You should learn this too. A Saiyan warrior who doesn't know his own language..." He trailed off with a shake of his head.  
  
Goku shrugged and wandered over. "What's up?" he asked as he joined Bulma on the chair.  
  
The guy sat on the slight windowsill and smiled. "All right. Back to the basics."  
  
**============================================**  
  
King Kai appeared just in time to nearly be decapitated by the last member of the Ginyu Force. He ducked and saw that the orange-skinned fighter had been thrown off the planet -- literally -- by Goku's little boy. Gohan was still looking extremely pissed off, though his hair stopped flicking on and off like a light bulb with a lunatic next to the switch.  
  
He saw Gohan power down slowly then lean nonchalantly against a nearby tree. The old martial arts master gathered his wits and stood up as tall as he could. "Gohan, who were they?" he asked as he went up to the young Saiyan.  
  
"King Kai!" Gohan jumped up and grinned. "Where have you been? Those guys tried to say this was their place now, so I made them go away. The jerks."  
  
"Do you know them?" King Kai asked, a little amused.  
  
Gohan nodded. "They're the ones who held my dad back in the fight against Frieza." He clenched his fists. "Assholes." Then he clamped his hand over his mouth, his face changing several interesting shades of red. "My mom is gonna kill me when I get back."  
  
"Why is that?" King Kai asked as he grabbed a piece of fruit off his tree.  
  
"Well, one for dying, and two 'cause of the way I've been talking." He slumped down to the ground and pouted. "I sound like Piccolo. Or Vegeta."  
  
"All warriors use it eventually," King Kai said as he bit into the blue apple. His eyes twinkled behind the dark glasses. "Just some sooner than others."  
  
"But I'm seven years old!" Gohan protested, sitting up. "That seems a little wrong to me."  
  
King Kai was pleased with his new student. Not only had he stayed so naive and innocent behind all the things he'd seen and done in the past three years, he was kind and so much like Goku it was uncanny. Yet again King Kai wondered how much he could teach the boy.  
  
"Gohan, don't worry about it. I'll get rid of that nasty habit for you before you leave." King Kai smiled at the kid and pulled another apple from the tree. "Hungry?"  
  
"Always," Gohan answered as he accepted the small blue treat. "Thanks," he said around another bite.  
  
He turned his back to Gohan and sighed. "Gohan, what exactly did Piccolo teach you?"  
  
"Didn't you ask me that?" Gohan asked as he pushed himself into a sitting position.  
  
"You never answered."  
  
"Oh." Gohan stood and wrapped his tail around his waist before going over to his teacher. "Well, I'm not exactly sure. If we spar or something I can show you."  
  
King Kai smiled faintly. 'It's been such a long time since I've had a match... and especially against someone that would give me a challenge...' He turned to face the small boy. "All right. Show me what Piccolo was good for." 


	8. Part 8

Surprisingly, it took Bulma almost three days to learn both languages. She kept swearing it was taking her forever, but Vegeta was slightly impressed she could pick up a language so different from her own, and then speak it flawlessly 36 hours later. The other took a bit more work, but two days and seventeen hours later, Bulma had both stored in her memory with the other five she'd learned in the past two and a half years.  
  
Goku frankly shocked Vegeta to near speechlessness. The younger Saiyan not only sopke it with a perfect accent and flawless accuracy, he understood more words than Vegeta did. 'Well, he IS Baradock's son,' Vegeta thought with a dry smirk. 'I guess it's just being dug up after al these years.'  
  
It didn't take long to fix the ship AGAIN. Bulma was losing track of how many times the damn thing was crashed, blown up, shot down, or just plain desrtoyed. She patted the side and smiled a little. "You're gonna have a nice home in the Transpotation Hall of Fame. Which is the next thing I'm going to create when I get back."  
  
"Pretty optimistic, aren't you Bulma?" Krillin asked.  
  
"How much more shit can possibly happen to us?" Bulma pointed out. "Then again, it IS US. Who knows what the hell can happen?"  
  
"Let's just hope that whatever we go through this thing can handle it," Krillin muttered, kicking the ship.  
  
Bulma grinned. "Damn sturdy if you ask me. I'll have to ask Kami what the hell it's MADE of. I'd LOVE to get some of this!"  
  
"Bulma, since you were such a good girl on the way, you got to learn two new languages. Leave it at that," Krillin lectured half-heartedly.  
  
"No," Bulma shot back, sticking her tongue out.  
  
He rolled his eyes and grabbed her sleeve. "Come on and let's get out of here before something ELSE happens."  
  
"You know," Bulma said as she allowed herself to be dragged along, "the LAST time you said that, lightning struck."  
  
"No water, which means no clouds, which means no storm, which means no lightning!" Krillin said with a quick smile."Which means we can get our asses out of here!"  
  
"Are we gonna get out of here?" Goku asked as soon as Bulma got in his line of view. "I wanna go home."  
  
"As soon as Fathead gets out of my seat," Bulma said pleasantly. Vegeta didn't twitch. She went over, grabbed him by his wild mane and pulled him off the chair. "Yep. We're leaving now."  
  
Vegeta mumled something under his breath and plopped down in the chair next to Goku. He didn't bother with a seatbelt as the two from Earth Special Forces did, just crossed his arms and scowled.  
  
As they lifted up, Bulma was tempted to smack Goku through the nearest wall. The last sentence out of the warrior's mouth had been, "Are we there yet?"  
  
**============================================**  
  
Gohan started to pace again. King Kai had left him for the third time in as many days. Or what FELT like days anyway. He couldn't really tell since the sun never went down. Or came up. Or moved at all.  
  
Finally, he plunked down under the o-so-familiar tree and scowled. "This sucks," he muttered to himself. Gregory was nowhere to be seen -- not surprising considering what Gohan did the LAST time the cricket agreed to play with him -- and Bubbles was asleep if not hiding from him. So Gohan was stuck with himself.  
  
"Might as well get some training in," he muttered again as he closed his eyes. Training mentally was easier and less stressful when the old master wasn't around. It was also the only way Gohan didn't go totally insane from being by himself for so long.  
  
The transition between the universes took only a minute, and Gohan opened his eyes to find himself in the middle of two clashing powers. He shook his head and ducked out of the blaze. Then the blue and red lines were gone and he stood alone. Except for a familiar bald figure with his back to him.  
  
He smiled and tapped the older warrior on the shoulder. "What's going on?"  
  
"Vegeta and Goku are after me," he muttered before realization set in. Then he yelled and turned to face Gohan. "Oh, it's only you," he breathed. Then he yelled again. "But... but... but you're DEAD Gohan!" The poor monk was obviously confused.  
  
"I know," Gohan said nonchalantly.  
  
Krillin's eyes rolled back in his head but he stayed on his feet. "How... are you here?"  
  
He tapped Krillin's forehead and smiled. "It's all in your head, Krillin."  
  
It took a second for Krillin to realize what he meant. Then he remembered that it only took a trained mind to get here. He and Gohan had used this training on the ride to Namek when they'd gotten bored.  
  
Gohan's eyes focused on one spot. "Vegeta," he hissed, then he straightened. "HE'S traveling with you?! How the he-- I mean, how are you still ALIVE?!"  
  
Krillin smiled faintly at the little boy. "I won't tell if you don't," he said.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Krillin wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders. "I know you've learned how to curse, Gohan. It was only a matter of time."  
  
"That's what King Kai said." He shrugged off Krillin's arm and shook his head. "You didn't answer my question."  
  
"What was it again?"  
  
"What the fuck is Vegeta doing with you guys?!" Gohan yelled in frustration. His hand came up to his mouth in sync with Krillin's eyebrow's shooting up. At the other's surprised expression, Gohan giggled a little. His hand came away from his mouth and he smiled. "Didn't expect THAT I suppose."  
  
Krillin shook his head. "Don't talk like that around your mother," he unnecessarily warned.  
  
Gohan looked up at him indignantly. "I DON'T have a death wish, Krillin."  
  
Krillin mentally shook himself. "I know. Oh, and Vegeta's here because he's coming back to Earth with us." Before Gohan could open his mouth, Krillin continued. "Goku offered him a ride. Besides, I think he has a crush on Bulma or something."  
  
Gohan's jaw dropped. "What?! What the hell has been going ON since I died?!"  
  
"A lot," Krillin muttered. Gohan suddenly pulled him down and a red line of fire swept back Gohan's hair from the force of the explosion from behind. FAR behind. Krillin looked over his shoulder, then back at Gohan. "I didn't even feel that coming. Then again, I can barely feel you, and you're right here."  
  
Gohan rolled his eyes and hit Krillin in the same spot Bulma picked to slap him all the time. "I'm dead and we're in another dimension. Of course not!"  
  
Krillin rubbed the base of his neck and shook his head. He then stared in wonder at the little boy that had been such a mama's boy only two years ago. Now he was acting more grown-up that Goku ever had.  
  
Krillin suddenly got a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Hey, Gohan. Why don't you show them that you're here?"  
  
The black-haired boy blinked, then a small smile crept onto his face. "All right. Vegeta almost hit me with that thing earlier. I want to show him that his aim is off."  
  
Gohan's eyes slid to one side and then he let loose with a fireball into the blackness. "What was that all about?" Krillin asked him. His answer was only a loud curse and a smile from Gohan.  
  
"Cueball! How the hell did you do that?!"  
  
Gohan shot him again and yelled, "Vegeta, you're supposed to HIT people when you shoot at them!"  
  
Goku, appearing behind Krillin for a surprise attack stopped dead in his tracks. His ki blast was only half-formed and slowly shrank back into his hand as he looked at his dead son in shock.  
  
Vegeta came into view, looking like Goku with almost no shirt and a huge scowl. Then he saw Gohan and froze mid-step. Krillin had never seen the proud prince so shocked. Even when Bulma had promised bodily harm and embarrassment to the Saiyan, he'd only had a mild response.  
  
"MOPHEAD?!"  
  
Gohan rolled his eyes. "I am getting so fucking TIRED of that goddamn name!" This time he didn't look like his mother was on the rampage and Goku's jaw came unhinged. "So shut up!"  
  
Vegeta blinked, then smirked at the boy. "I see you're not as much as a baby anymore. NOW you're acting like a true Saiyan."  
  
"I don't fucking care!" Gohan yelled, hands clenching at his sides. "I'm here to see my father!"  
  
Goku's jaw worked a few times, but no sound came out. He tried a few more and failed with flying colors. Krillin tapped Gohan on the top of his head and jerked his thumb at his his best friend.  
  
Gohan threw himself at Goku and brought them both to the floor. Well, where the floor WOULD be had there been one. Anyway, both of them were just kind of floating there horizontally.  
  
"Daddy!" Gohan cried cheerfully, wrapping his arms tightly around Goku, who was still trying to figure out how to talk.  
  
Goku gave up and found that his limbs still worked, so he patted his son's head, shaking his own. His only thought at that moment was 'Chi Chi is going to KILL us.'  
  
**============================================**  
  
By the time Bulma roused the boys from their dead-asleep state, Krillin and Gohan had finally gotten Goku to talk. Which the little boy didn't think was such a good idea because for the first and only time in his life, Goku reprimanded Gohan for his language. That was the only time Goku would yell at Gohan about ANYTHING.  
  
Nonetheless, as soon as Goku's mind joined his body, he was more cheerful than Bulma had ever seen him. He paused to kiss her cheek before wandering out into the main room and sitting down at the window to stare out into space.  
  
"What's with him?" Bulma asked the white-faced Krillin and the nonchalant Vegeta.  
  
"Mophead showed up."  
  
Bulma looked to Krillin. "Translation, please."  
  
Krillin shook his head. "Gohan joined us in our training. That's all. We talked for a while."  
  
Bulma's jaw dropped slightly, then she shook her head in denial. "I always knew you guys were stupid, but that just takes the cake! Gohan is DEAD, sorry to say."  
  
"The boy's mind is with him in another dimension," Vegeta pointed out. "It is the mind that allows us to get there."  
  
Bulma blinked a few times. "Vegeta! I didn't think you had it in you!"  
  
"What?" he snapped.  
  
"You sounded... INTELLIGENT there for a second. I'm very impressed." Despite her sarcastic words, she WAS impressed. She thought Goku was the only one who could be stupid yet sound somewhat smart.  
  
He grunted in response. "Whatever, woman."  
  
"Say, Bulma, are we there yet?"  
  
Bulma lunged at Krillin and succeeded in grabbing his shirt. "No, moron. Almost. If you ask me that one more time, I'll dump you into SPACE!" Looking at Vegeta, she scowled and said, "You too, Cactus Head."  
  
Krillin shook his head and went to sit by Goku. "So, what's up?"  
  
Goku looked at him like he'd never seen a human before. Then he shook his head and the old grin was back on his face. "Nothing much." He looked at Vegeta and held out his hand. "Twenty bucks."  
  
Krillin followed his gaze. "Bullshit!" He knew the look in Vegeta's eye, but there was no way he was going to admit that to Goku.  
  
"Make it fifty when we get home and then you'll see."  
  
"You're on, pal!" Even as Krillin shook his best friend's hand to seal the bet, he was thinking, 'What the hell have I just done?'  
  
**============================================**  
  
Gohan had found Bubbles and was in the process of luring the primate out of hiding with a piece of fruit when King Kai showed back up, carrying a stack of heavy, HUGE leather-bound books.  
  
Gohan dropped the blue apple and rushed to aid his teacher. "What are these?" he wondered aloud as he took the top six to keep them from falling.  
  
"Work for you. I've heard you say you wanted to keep up with your studies, so I brought you these."  
  
Gohan looked down at the books in his hands. "Aw, man! MORE homework?" He took the offered pencil and slumped down on the hood of the car. Breezing through the first half of the book, it wasn't long before he was doing it half in his sleep from boredom.  
  
King Kai watched as the young warrior started to fall asleep while still writing. Soon his eyes closed completely and his breathing evened, but his hand never stopped moving. It was then the martial arts master realized Gohan had gone through the books he'd requested for later in the year.  
  
"Gohan," he said, gently shaking the snoring child. It took carrying the boy over to the sink and dropping him in the water to wake him.  
  
Gohan came up coughing and sputtering. "I'm awake Piccolo! I'm up! I'm--" He cut himself off as he saw that he was only in King Kai's kitchen. "Hey! Now I'm wet!"  
  
'Brilliant observation,' King Kai couldn't help but think as he looked at the boy in his sink. He shook himself and started to wring the water out of his hair, glaring at the older man.  
  
"That's how Mr. Piccolo used to wake me up," Gohan complained. "I didn't like it THEN either!"  
  
"Sorry, but that's the only way I could get you up. You were falling asleep doing your work."  
  
"I finished it, didn't I?" Gohan asked as he pulled his shirt over his head and sat it on the ground outside to dry.  
  
"What?" A closer look showed that Gohan had indeed finished the work that King Kai himself could barely do. "How do you know this?"  
  
"My mom," Gohan said sadly. "I've been doing THIS shit since I was THREE."  
  
'Very wise woman,' King Kai thought. "All right. In that case, I have to leave again."  
  
"What?! You just came back! Can I go with you this time? PLEASE?!"  
  
"I'm sorry I have to keep leaving you like this, Gohan. It's just you're so different from the others." A hurt look crossed the youngster's face. "No, Gohan, I don't mean that in a bad way. You're so much stronger than they are, and I can only teach you so much. Which means I have to go to other sources to get things for you. Of course you can come along. We have to go to Princess Snake's palace, so we'll be gone a while."  
  
"All right! Princess Snake!" Gohan grinned and yanked on King Kai's sleeve, pulling him to Snake Way. "Come on!"  
  
King Kai smiled at his student and allowed himself to be pulled along. He shook his head, scooped Gohan into his arms and then stepped off the edge of the planet.  
  
"I hope Daddy doesn't mind I won't visit for a while."  
  
King Kai didn't ask. He had a feeling he didn't want to know.  
  
**============================================**  
  
The next few weeks were utter hell for Bulma. Then again, anywhere with three men was hell, but this went way above and beyond just that simple fact. Over the course of three weeks, Vegeta's treatment of her was constantly getting rougher and much, much harsher. Finally she figured out what was going on. It was at one of the many pitstops.....  
  
"Row, row, row your ship, gently through the stars. Merrily merrily merrily merrily life is such a bitch!"  
  
Bulma rolled her eyes and growled at Krillin, who was trying to start another verse. "Someone shut him up before I decide to do it myself."  
  
Goku nudged his best friend and Krillin looked up at him. "Well, do YOU have anything better to do?"  
  
Just as Goku opened his mouth, Bulma snapped, "Not you either!" He closed his mouth with an audible click and crossed his arms. "Better."  
  
"You don't even know what he was going to say, woman," Vegeta lectured gruffly.  
  
"He wasn't going to SAY anything. He was going to sing, and I DON'T need it right now."  
  
Bulma successfully landed the ship on the next planet she saw and allowed Goku and Krillin to jump out. Vegeta glared at her then followed the members of Earth's Special Forces.  
  
"Hurry up and get back! I'd like to be there by the time Gohan gets back!" she yelled after them, then stalked back to the controls to see if they had enough power to get out of the thick atmosphere.  
  
Less than half an hour later, Vegeta came back to find Bulma in her usual spot behind the engines, still cursing and swearing; her everyday language could make a sailor blush.  
  
"Woman, what are you doing?"  
  
"What," she answered as she spit out some grease, "the hell does it LOOK like I'm doing moron? I'm TRYING to FIX this damn thing so I can go HOME." She leaned on something just above her chest height and shook her head. "And what are you doing back so early?"  
  
"I THOUGHT you might want something to eat."  
  
Bulma was too tired to give a sarcastic reply. "What is there?" she asked, exhausted.  
  
He gave the names of several things she couldn't ever hope to pronounce, something she thought she didn't WANT to pronounce, and then he added, "And fish."  
  
Bulma threw up her hands and yelled to the ceiling, "WHAT did I do? You are freaking bound-determined to make me eat that shit aren't you?!" She lowered her head and shook it. In a defeated voice she said, "I'll have the fish Vegeta. The fish."  
  
He glared at her, but she ignored it just like she usually did. "Woman, how dense ARE you?!"  
  
She looked up. "Huh?" Then it clicked and she glared at him. "What the hell does THAT mean?! I happen to be the smartest person on EARTH!"  
  
"Then I don't want to see a STUPID human."  
  
"You already HAVE! Krillin!" As a second thought she scowled and added, "And Yamcha."  
  
"Who the HELL is this Yamcha you keep talking about?"  
  
"The guy the little green men from Mars blew up!"  
  
"Actually, they're from Earth. They were grown there."  
  
Bulma blinked. Then she shook her head. "Never mind. I don't want to know." Then her foot started to tap and she crossed her arms. "You didn't answer my question."  
  
"What question?"  
  
"Are you SURE Saiyans have good memories? Because that HASN'T shown up in my study of them." She rolled her eyes and repeated her earlier inquiry.  
  
"I've been trying to get your attention for weeks!"  
  
"O, you got my attention all right! I'm gonna KILL you!"  
  
Vegeta smirked. "It would be amusing to see you TRY, woman."  
  
Bulma growled. "I'll get GOKU to kick your ass then!"  
  
At his name, Goku's head popped up, only to be pushed back down by a smaller hand. "I told you not to do that," Krillin whispered.  
  
Bulma rolled her eyes and walked over, picking up each boy by the back of the shirt. "Krillin, if you're going to eavesdrop, do it somewhere else. Where Goku won't ruin it again."  
  
Krillin nudged Goku with his elbow. "Man, now we're gonna miss the good part."  
  
"Shut up, Krillin!" Bulma yelled as she whacked the base of his skull again. "Before I LET Vegeta use you as his own personal punching bag!"  
  
Krillin looked at Vegeta, who had let a predatory smile creep onto his face. The look faded as quickly as it came, but it was more than enough to deliver the message. Krillin gulped, color slowly slipping from his cheeks. He took a few steps back, waiting for Goku.  
  
Bulma grabbed her friend's arm and smiled. "Goku, could you do me a favor? Could you hurt Vegeta for me? Just a little?"  
  
He looked up at the smirking warrior. "Sorry Bulma. I'm a married man."  
  
"What the hell does that have to do with it?!"  
  
"He's been trying to get your attention," Goku said simply.  
  
"He's got it, dammit! Which is why either YOU hurt him or I SHOOT the bastard!"  
  
"No, like Chi Chi did to me," Goku hurridly explained.  
  
"Like Chi Chi did to you," Bulma said slowly. Then she whirled on Vegeta. "You've been FLIRTING with me?!"  
  
He cocked his head. "Yes, if that's what you humans call it."  
  
"DAMMIT! What the hell are you THINKING! And wipe that goddamn smirk off your face!" That only widened it a bit. She growled and slapped him. Now he smiled. "I'm afraid to know what that means. Goku! Help me here!"  
  
Vegeta grabbed her arm. "He can't. He already has a mate."  
  
Bulma tried to pull free but only ended up smacking him again. "Goku!" she wailed. "Help me!"  
  
"Sorry Bulma, but I'm a married man. Can't take part in this mating ritual." With that he laid back and folded his hands behind his head like he was at the beach.  
  
"This WHAT?! GOKU!!" Bulma tried to go after him, but she could only get so far with Vegeta attached. She growled again and yelled at the now retreating form of her friend, "I'm gonna tell Chi Chi!"  
  
That made him stop long enough for Krillin to catch up. She could barely hear them, but it was enough to get her pissed off again.  
  
"Hey, Krillin. You owe me twenty bucks."  
  
"Goku, Bulma hasn't done her part yet."  
  
"I know. That's why it's half."  
  
"Half of fifty is twenty-five."  
  
"Then you owe me twenty-FIVE bucks."  
  
Krillin's next sentence was drowned out by Bulma yelling "You BET on me?!"  
  
"I think she heard us," Goku muttered. The next moment the two were gone.  
  
"I can't belive you BET on me!" she yelled after them. "HOW THE HELL COULD YOU IDIOTS BET ON ME?!"  
  
Vegeta tightened his grip. "It wasn't hard, woman. All they had to do was--"  
  
"I KNOW, dammit! It was a RHETORICAL question!" She threw up her free hand in exasperation. "I hate boys. And I hate men. And I hate freaking SAIYAN men the MOST!"  
  
"At least Kakorrot is remembering the laws." Vegeta muttered.  
  
"Well, at least HE can remember them! I never knew!"  
  
"I'll teach you," Vegeta offered. Then he gave her a kiss and let her go.  
  
"Great," Bulma drawled sarcastically. "His royal pain-in-my-ass is gonna TEACH me something totally useless." She rolled her eyes and looked up again. "Oh, Kami! What did I do to deserve this?! How do I get myself into these situations?" She rubbed her head and heard Goku trying to sneak back up to the ship. To take her mind off of Vegeta, she turned and yelled "You guys BET on me?!" So it was back to torturing the guys.  
  
It actually didn't take long for Bulma to finish her rampage: she was too wound-up to bitch properly. Which was another reason she didn't blow up at Vegeta. She was a little too out of it to really process anything after the ship nearly blew up yet AGAIN. She was tempted to say the hell with it and live here the rest of her lonely life.  
  
"Bulma," Krillin began hesitantly about an hour after she chewed the two of them out.  
  
"Not now Krillin," she snapped, not turning around. "I'm NOT in the mood."  
  
He crossed his arms. "Well, Vegeta said he wanted to talk to you. Alone."  
  
"Then tell him to get his fat ass out here. Or, better yet, tell him to go--"  
  
"WOMAN!"  
  
This time she turned. "Dammit, Vegeta! I HAVE a FREAKING name!"  
  
He only crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "I know."  
  
"Then why the hell don't you USE it?!"  
  
Vegeta turned his head to look at Goku and Krillin. "What did you want him to tell me?"  
  
"Don't change the subject!"  
  
"Tell me."  
  
"I would, but you wouldn't understand. It would only be giving you freaking ideas. And I don't need that right now."  
  
Krillin, who knew EXACTLY what Bulma was going to say, turned to the Saiyan. "She was going to say to go--"  
  
Bulma grabbed him by his shirt and shook him so the last part of the sentence couldn't be understood. By human ears anyway. Vegeta's keen hearing picked up the garbled words and he only shook his head.  
  
"Woman, do YOU even know what that means?"  
  
"What? Go fuck yourself? Yeah."  
  
He smirked. "Might I ask how?"  
  
"I asked the morons that told me that to define it. Then I told them exactly what it meant and they shut up." She batted her eyes at him. "My father was actually not-so-proper in my youth," Bulma finished with an evil smile. "In fact, he was rather wild."  
  
Krillin raised his eyebrows. He couldn't imagine the good doctor being anything except slightly strange, but always kind and proper toward his daughter. It almost blew his mind.  
  
"And...?"  
  
Bulma threw her hands up and glared at him. "It means my father taught me how to swear, lunkhead!"  
  
Vegeta smiled for the briefest second. "At least you've gotten over him. I couldn't stand having such an emotional mate."  
  
"Excuse me?! Did I just hear you say MATE?!"  
  
He smirked at her and gave one sharp nod. "You heard me, woman. That's exactly what I said."  
  
Bulma sputtered for a second before getting herself under control. "You know, I already HAVE a BOYFRIEND! That's what we call them on Earth. Not MATES! I am NO ONE'S MATE!"  
  
Vegeta only stared at her. "And who would that be?"  
  
"Why? Want to fight him or something?" she asked sarcastically.  
  
"If I have to," Vegeta acknowledged.  
  
THAT got her attention. "WHAT?!!"  
  
He idly tapped his foot and glared at her. "Do you have a hearing problem woman? I'm getting sick of repeating myself."  
  
"And I'M getting sick of you giving me orders and saying something about me being your MATE! That DOESN'T exactly sit well with me!"  
  
Vegeta cocked his head thoughtfully. "What does that mean?"  
  
"It means I DON'T LIKE IT!!!"  
  
"You don't have much of a choice," he said blandly.  
  
"I'll have as much choice as I want, and I'm telling you, Prince Frieza's-little-puppy, I'll--"  
  
She got cut off as Vegeta grabbed her roughly and lifted her a good two feet off the floor. Scowling at her, he said menacingly, "I am NOT Frieza's slave. Don't you EVER say that!"  
  
Bulma realized she'd gone over the line on that one. Something about the evil warlord had a profound effect on Vegeta: hell, it was the only insult he'd actually RESPONDED to. She gulped and felt calm, easy hands guiding her back down to the floor. It was Goku, holding onto her waist.  
  
He looked dangerously at Vegeta. "If you ever TRY to hurt her again Vegeta..." he threatened.  
  
The older Saiyan glared right back. "I would never hurt her. It was only to scare her a little."  
  
Bulma growled and leaned back against Goku. "Fuck you Vegeta. Stay out of my sight until we get back, or it could get VERY unpleasant. Excuse me, Goku." She pushed past her friend and wiped her eyes. 'How could I think I like a bastard like him?' she asked herself. Then she stopped and looked in the mirror. Scowling at her own stupidness, she admitted, "But, still.... I DO."  
  
"Bulma?" Goku asked, rapping softly on the door.  
  
"What?" she asked miserably, head still buried in her pillow. She didn't bother to look up when the hinges squeaked to indicate the door was opening.  
  
"Woman, WHAT are you doing?!"  
  
Bulma raised her head to glare at him. "Bastard! Don't you know how to listen?! I told you to stay the fuck away from me!"  
  
He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Woman," he began irritably.  
  
Bulma stood and grabbed at the back of his neck. "Get. Out. Of. My. Sight," she hissed. "NOW!"  
  
"No."  
  
Before she could explode and get herself seriously hurt, she released him and plopped back down on the bed. "Where did Goku go?"  
  
"Kakorrot? He's right there."  
  
Looking past the seemingly tall figure in front of her, Bulma could see her friend talking to Krillin.  
  
"Tell him to come here."  
  
"Why don't you?"  
  
"Because short as you are, I STILL can't get his attention if you're in front of me," she growled. Vegeta stiffened just the slightest bit, imperceptible to the untrained eye.  
  
He scowled but turned around. "Kakorrot, the woman wants to talk to you." Then he gave her a quick glance out of the corner of his eye and left. Bulma was shocked almost speechless. He'd NEVER listened to her before. Hell, he never even indicated he'd even HEARD her in the past month.  
  
Goku didn't seem fazed at all. "You wanted to talk to me?"  
  
"Not really. I just wanted him to go away."  
  
Goku was far from being insulted. "I think you hurt his feelings, Bulma."  
  
"Goku, the man is a cold-blooded, ruthless, BOSSY, bastard and a killer!" He gave her a look and she closed her eyes, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I know," she moaned. "And I even feel a little BAD about it."  
  
"You should apologize to him."  
  
"I SHOULD, yes," Bulma admitted.  
  
"And...?" Goku prompted.  
  
"AND I have NEVER apologized for ANYTHING in my ENTIRE life! Why should I start now?"  
  
"Because it's the right thing to do," Goku said smoothly.  
  
"I know," Bulma moaned as she walked past Goku. "I don't believe this. That... IDIOT is going to be the end of me!" she ranted as she walked past Krillin in Vegeta's direction. "After this, someone shoot me."  
  
"For what? What's going on?" Krillin asked as she walked by.  
  
"We would Bulma, but I think the ki blasts would just bounce off!" Goku called in from the other room.  
  
"What? Am I missing something here?" Krillin asked as he looked wildly around. "Goku!"  
  
"What?" the taller man drawled, walking back to his best friend.  
  
"What is going on?" Krillin asked evenly, voice almost as threatening as Vegeta's. He was determined to get some answers.  
  
"She's going to do something she's never done before."  
  
"Die?" Krillin suggested sarcastically.  
  
"Unfortunately for Vegeta, no. She's going to apologize." Krillin was shocked immobile, which gave Goku more than enough time to grab the back of the other man's fighting outfit.  
  
"Hey!" Krillin protested when he found he could only run as far as Goku's arm could extend. "I want to hear this!"  
  
"You'll have to listen from here then."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"*I* can hear them."  
  
"You're a freaking SAIYAN! Of COURSE you can hear them!" Krillin crossed his arms and slumped back against Goku. "This sucks. I have to know how Vegeta does it. He's already shocked her speechless, and NOW he's getting her to APOLOGIZE."  
  
**============================================**  
  
Gohan started to pace again as he looked up at the castle. For some reason, King Kai hadn't allowed him to go inside. The martial arts master had only been gone five minutes before Gohan was bored stiff. Pacing wasn't much better, but at least he was moving.  
  
He stopped as his teacher came out, looking totally shocked. "Gohan... they want to see you," he said in a surprised monotone. His face never changed expression, and Gohan thought he looked like he saw a ghost. Which was pretty close since he WAS in another dimension.  
  
"Yay! Princess Snake!" Gohan yelled as he ran through the doors and jumped into the woman's arms. "How are you?"  
  
She smiled fondly at the little boy. "Great! I'm glad you came back to visit. But..." She looked at him and shook her head. "You haven't been wished back yet."  
  
"I know. King Kai let me come!" he replied happily. "I missed you guys."  
  
"And our food I'll bet," one of the assistants added from behind, carrying a platter of dishes and giving the little fighter a wink.  
  
Gohan slowly turned pink. "Well, I missed you guys TOO!"  
  
Snake laughed as she set him down. "Would you like something while you're here?"  
  
"Yeah!" Then he looked down. "If that's all right with you that is."  
  
She ruffled his grown-out hair. "For you Gohan, anything."  
  
He nodded eagerly. "Oh, wait! Um... King Kai said something about sleepy grass." He rolled his eyes back into his head like the message was printed on the inside of his forehead. "Was that what you gave me last time? That sugar-stick stuff?" No one answered and King Kai's mouth dropped discreetly. "Could I have some of that too?"  
  
King Kai glared at the princess and she only shook her head. "I never tried to eat him," she said defensively. Pulling on her coat, she asked, "What kind of snake do you think I am? Eating children! And one I like!"  
  
"Oh, yeah, that reminds me! Um... Dad says he forgives you for trying to eat him last time, and... thanks for taking care of me and... and I think that was it." Gohan smiled at her, and she couldn't help grinning back.  
  
"Goku? HE told you that? He's here?" the blond assistant asked. "I don't think we could feed BOTH of them." She put a hand to her head. "I better go check the kitchens..."  
  
"No! Wait! Daddy's not here!" Gohan said, waving his arms to get her attention.  
  
"What? Then how...?"  
  
"Mental training," Gohan answered simply.  
  
"Ah. I DON'T see. Mind elaborating?" King Kai asked sarcastically. He'd heard of it, just not by that name.  
  
"It's a technique that lets people put their minds in another dimension and train. They don't get hurt and they don't die, but they get the same experience and power that they would normally," he recited, remembering Krillin's professor-like description. Then he looked down at himself and smiled faintly. "Guess you can get to it no matter where you are."  
  
"Food's up!" someone called from the other room. The brunette carried the platter out and saw their visitor. Not knowing Gohan was there, she almost dropped the food in her rush to get over to him.  
  
He was caught in a crushing hug, even for a Saiyan it was a little hard to breathe. "Glad to see you too," he choked out with a huge grin. "Getting... harder... to... BREATHE."  
  
She took the hint and put him down. "Sorry kiddo."  
  
He grinned up in appreciation, "You're stronger than you look."  
  
She grinned back. "You bet! Didn't King Kai tell you not to judge someone by how they look?"  
  
"No." He blinked and smiled. "Mr. Piccolo did."  
  
The young brunette looked down at the single serving platter and shook her head. "I thought she was serving a full-blown five-course meal. Guess I'll have to bring out the rest of the food then, huh?"  
  
"Don't forget the sleepy grass!" he called as she turned to go back. He got a strange stare from everyone and he put his head down. "Is that a problem? It tasted good."  
  
King Kai only shook his head. Goku's son never ceased to amaze him. Power, brains AND manners. Snake shook her head to clear it and said pleasantly, "Of course Gohan. Girls..."  
  
She didn't have to finish the sentence. They were already on it.  
  
Gohan smiled at King Kai. "Are you going to eat with us?"  
  
The blue being cleared his throat. "Um, no. I'm not really hungry." He stole a glance at the softly chuckling Princess Snake and barely suppressed a scowl.  
  
"Okay," Gohan said, obviously disappointed.  
  
"What's with the long face, little man?" the blond asked cheerfully. "Dinner is served!"  
  
Gohan suddenly appeared at the table and was pulling out the chair when Snake turned all the way around to see what he was doing. Gohan bowed slightly and smiled, gesturing to the chair.  
  
"Why thank you," she said as she sat and placed a kiss on his cheek. King Kai nearly fell over when he saw the kindness the old witch was displaying.  
  
Gohan scrambled into his chair just as the next serving platters were brought out. He grinned mischievously and said, "Princess Snake. Guess what?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Guess!"  
  
Not liking the glint in the boy's eye, she cautiously uttered a "What?"  
  
He grinned wider and picked up one of the utensils by his plate. "I know how to use a fork again!"  
  
She blinked, expecting something very different. Then she smiled in wary relief and shook her head. "Good job Gohan!" she said, trying to match his excitement.  
  
"King Kai reminded me. If Mom saw my table manners before..." Even as he drifted off he started shoving food into his mouth. Slowly enough to be seen. Barely.  
  
King Kai finally got over the fact that the infamous Princess Snake was acting... NICE -- and to a MALE at that -- he slowly worked his way into a seat two away from her.  
  
She smiled kindly, with none of the usual malice or trickery he was notorious for. "So kind of you to join us, King Kai. Something to eat?" She offered him whatever was dangling off the end of her fork.  
  
He'd plainly seen her eat it, and she was as prone to sleepy grass as anyone else, but still he refused. "So," he said carefully, "how did you get him to sleep the first time if sleepy grass doesn't work?"  
  
"Oh, all he needed was a bath. Just like any other little kid," she answered carelessly. "He's getting one tonight before he leaves," she said, directing the sentence at Gohan.  
  
"Do I have to?" he asked around a mouthful of... something.  
  
"Yes," she said patiently. "You are NOT leaving here smelling like gym socks!"  
  
Gohan looked indignant, then sniffed carefully. Then he crossed his arms and slouched in his seat. Then he muttered something and closed his eyes.  
  
"What?" Snake asked.  
  
"I said it's not gym socks. It's Mom's meatloaf."  
  
Snake paused with her spoon halfway to her mouth, looked at and put it back down. "I think... I don't want to know."  
  
Gohan smiled apologetically. "Mom could cook a lot of things. Meatloaf wasn't one of them."  
  
Snake looked down and realized that all the food was gone, save whatever she still had on her plate. She pushed it toward the always-hungry warrior and smiled.  
  
"You sure?" he asked as he put his hands on the edges. She nodded and he immediately inhaled the remainder of the meal.  
  
"Now, my boy, it's time for that bath." She stood and put a hand on his arm.  
  
"All right," he said in a defeated tone. "But could you not give me these kind of clothes again?"  
  
"Well, what do you want?" she asked as she lead him away.  
  
King Kai stood and called after them, "Don't worry about it! I'll take care of it!" She gave him a strange look over her shoulder, but he only smiled in reply. She shrugged and led him off to the waters.  
  
Twenty minutes, two songs and a story later, Snake was tucking the exhausted young boy into bed. She kissed his forehead and smiled as she pulled the blankets up to his chin. Ruffling his hair, she turned to see that she'd been observed.  
  
"I've never seen this side of you, Snake," King Kai said teasingly as he took a step into the room.  
  
"And you won't again unless Gohan is here," he replied quickly, with a bit of acid in her voice.  
  
One corner of his mouth curved upward a little. "Ah, yes. That's the Princess Snake I know and despise."  
  
She only smiled at him and ran a hand through Gohan's hair. "If you hate me so much, then why were you coming here so often?"  
  
He shrugged. "I needed the schoolbooks for Gohan."  
  
She smiled down at him. "The little scholar." Even in his sleep Gohan rolled over and groaned. She laughed and shook her head. "Either he's still awake or he's been called that a lot at home."  
  
"How much do you know about his family?" King Kai asked as he fiddled with something.  
  
"Not much." Then she brightened. "But we can find out! Come with me!" Before he could object, she grabbed his arm and pulled him along.  
  
"Princess?"  
  
"Give me the mirror!" she commanded, finally stopping. King Kai walked by, then got yanked back when Snake got the mirror and started walking in the opposite direction.  
  
"WHAT are you DOING?!"  
  
"Shh," Snake said as they entered the room again. "You'll wake him up!" She carefully placed the dream mirror in front of the unsuspecting boy and smiled. "This family often dreams about home life. We'll just get to know them this way," she explained.  
  
She was right: the first dream was of Gohan sitting at his table, listening to his mother while he slouched over his book, half-awake and still answering the problems.  
  
"That's my little scholar," Chi Chi urged cheerfully. Snake winced at the statement. No wonder Gohan hated that nickname. "Keep going."  
  
"Mom, can't I go out and play?" he asked as he finished the book in front of him and dropped the pencil on the last page.  
  
"Not until you finish your work. You want to get into a good college don't you?"  
  
"Mom," he complained. "I'm only three!" That scene faded and then flashed forward to when he would return home.  
  
The vision was blocked by Chi Chi smothering Gohan in a hug, then huge lips coming into view. Once Chi Chi backed off a little, Snake could hear Gohan complaining, "Mo-om! Not in front of the guys!" Despite the fact that he'd only known them for a total of ten minutes -- 5 minutes before they died and 5 minutes after -- it was still embarrassing.  
  
"Gohan! You are never to do that to me again! You hear me?! I don't think I could stand it if you died again!"  
  
He patted her waist, as high as he could reach, and said honestly, "I don't plan on doing it again any time soon." Then he realized that the waist had become a shoulder and it was white. Frieza.  
  
"O, no," Princess Snake said to herself. She remembered the LAST time Gohan had a dream about the evil warlord. "I can't watch this again." She handed the mirror to King Kai and went in search of a stiff drink.  
  
"What's that all about?" King Kai wondered as he watched her leave. Then he turned his attention back to the dream. The fight was just beginning.  
  
Just before Frieza blew him to kingdom come, Gohan sat bolt upright in bed, hands grasping at the new clothes King Kai had given him. He didn't tell anybody, but he'd been having that nightmare a lot lately.  
  
Gohan rubbed his eyes and muttered something incoherent before rolling over and facing the wall, eyes open as wide as he could keep them.  
  
King Kai silently put the mirror down and walked back out into the main hall. "I need a drink myself," he muttered as he saw Princess Snake holding a fizzing glass.  
  
"It has sleepy grass in it," she warned.  
  
"The more the better," he replied as he sank into a chair. "I don't think I'll get any sleep on my own at this rate. Give me whatever she has," he told the next assistant that came by.  
  
"YOU want THAT?"  
  
"Something you didn't understand?" The brunette frantically shook her head. "All right then. But I want to be awake when Gohan gets up later."  
  
Snake handed him her glass. "This should be enough for you. I need a stronger dose anyway."  
  
King Kai took the cup and chugged down half without hesitating. 'Gohan was right. It does taste like sugar.' 


	9. Part 9

King Kai only slept for about four hours. When he woke to check on Gohan, the kid's halo was gone. The only possible solution was that he'd been wished back, but that couldn't happen for another year. The dragonballs were just used to wish back the others.  
  
King Kai turned around and went back to his seat. Even though he had an AWFUL crick in the neck from sleeping in a chair, he put his hands to his head to ease the ache and tried to contact Kami.  
  
"King Kai?" came the instant reply, thought-spoken.  
  
"Yes. Kami, what's going ON down there?!" he demanded sternly. "I think Gohan just got wished back!"  
  
Kami's answer was just started when a third person interrupted. "Hey! Who's talking in my head?! This isn't Guru!"  
  
"Dende, don't worry. I'll explain in a minute," Kami said calmly. "Yes, he just was, King Kai."  
  
"How?! The dragonballs were just used less than two months ago!"  
  
"It seems that Dende is more powerful than I," he answered carefully. "He improved them so Shenlong can now grant THREE wishes and can regenerate by Namek years instead of Earth's. In short, they can be used more."  
  
"So when is Gohan coming home? I want to see him again," Dende asked.  
  
"As soon as he wakes up," King Kai answered. "Which should be very soon I think. He'll probably be there tomorrow morning. But don't tell Chi Chi," he warned Kami.  
  
"Why not? She has every right to know."  
  
King Kai silently cleared his throat. "If you've ever spent time with the woman you'd know. BELIEVE me. Even Goku is afraid of her."  
  
That seemed to convince the old Namek. "All right. I'll take your word for it, King Kai. You've never led me wrong before."  
  
They both felt Dende closing his mind off to their conversation even though he didn't realize he was doing it. King Kai immediately snatched the opportunity. "So, what is this kid to you, Kami?"  
  
"He will be the next Guardian of the Earth. He's already proven he will be a very strong leader, and he's already well-liked with the people. Now I'm glad that Piccolo turned down the job." Kami gave a short, soft chuckle and smiled. King Kai could feel the motion over their link.  
  
King Kai looked over his shoulder at Gohan, who was stirring. "He's waking up. He'll be back soon."  
  
"All right. I'll be there to meet him."  
  
King Kai closed off his mind to concentrate on his now ex student. Princess Snake in the other room was also waking from the deep sleep. She stumbled out of the chair and into the room just as Gohan was getting up.   
  
Still groggy, he took one look at her and giggled. "You don't look so good in the morning," he said as he flung the blankets off and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, rubbing his eyes.  
  
"Neither do you. I probably don't look half as bad as you," she muttered back as she collapsed on the bed next to him.  
  
"I can believe that," he said as he stopped rubbing his eye and had a little trouble opening it. "Man, I feel funny."  
  
"You've been wished back, Gohan," King Kai told him as he helped the little boy out of bed.  
  
"What?!" Princess Snake instantly snapped out of her foggy, just-woken-up stage. "How?"  
  
"Apparently Gohan's friend improved the Earth's dragonballs. The new cycle just got started."  
  
"Gohan, is there anyone you DON'T know?" Snake asked, but Gohan was gone.  
  
It wasn't hard to find him. Apparently he knew where the bathroom was because he was traipsing there repeating, "Wakey, wakey, wakey, wakey."  
  
She smiled and shook her head. "At least he's not asking for coffee."  
  
"No, he likes hot chocolate," King Kai muttered. "But what's he doing now?"  
  
A loud cry followed by more and louder splashing answered the question. Gohan came back, dripping from everything on his head and a wet stain down the front of his clothes. "I'm awake now," he announced.  
  
"So I see," Snake said, eyeing him.  
  
"Are you ready to go?"  
  
"Go?!" Gohan looked up at his teacher, then back at Princess Snake.  
  
"Kami, I hope this child never gets attacked in the middle of the night," Princess Snake muttered. She mock-punched him affectionately. "You got wished back. We just told you that."  
  
"Oh, yeah." Gohan padded out to the other room in search of clean clothes. "Hey, King Kai! I need to stop by and get the work from your house! Mom will NEVER believe that I kept up with my studies!"  
  
Princess Snake pulled King Kai over to the corner of the room. "Is he going to be all right?"  
  
"Of course. Why wouldn't he be?"  
  
"Well, I would love to keep him around forever, but I WOULD like him to HAVE a life. Literally."  
  
"Well, just think of the day that he dies for good."  
  
She chuckled. "Ah, yes. I'll just make him young again. And then he can live with me forever."  
  
"How young are you planning, Snake?"  
  
"Well, he's rather adorable at this age, don't you think?" she asked, tapping a finger on her cheek. She smiled, making King Kai open his mouth to say something.  
  
Gohan came back in at that precise moment. "Um, excuse me, but... what am I going to wear when I go home? My boxers?" He tugged at the legs of them and looked up. "I would die of embarrassment before Mom could kill me."  
  
King Kai stood and put a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "I have just the solution. I'm going to give you new clothes." Gohan looked absolutely horrified. "BUT," he added, "YOU'RE going to choose what they look like."  
  
"All right!" Gohan cheered. "Anything I want?"  
  
"Any fighting outfit," King Kai agreed. "Just close your eyes and concentrate."  
  
Gohan did as he was told and let the magic wash over him. When he opened his eyes, the same gear Piccolo had given him was there, complete with weighted white cape. "All right! This is COOL!"  
  
King Kai blinked. "PICCOLO'S uniform?"  
  
"Yeah!" Gohan said as he twirled the cape. He grinned up at King Kai. "Thank you!!"  
  
That face and cheesy smile combined with Piccolo's gi made King Kai blink a few times and shake his head a little. "No problem Gohan. How about going and getting your work now?"  
  
"Yeah. I really don't WANT to leave, but I want to see my mom again," he said sadly.  
  
"Well, you can stop by again on the way back, Gohan," Princess Snake promised.  
  
"Really?" The hopeful young warrior looked up and saw his friend's smile.  
  
"Yes. I'll even give you more cookies than you can eat." Then remembering Saiyan stomachs, she added, "In five minutes."  
  
"Really?!"  
  
"Sure. What kind do you like?"  
  
"EVERYTHING!"  
  
Every maid, servant and assistant withing hearing range suddenly stopped, looked at each other, then hurried to the many kitchens.  
  
As they passed by, snippets of conversations could be heard. "There's always been this recipe I wanted to try..." "...peanut butter cookies for me!" "Yup! Chocolate chip. Kids LOVE chocolate chip!"  
  
Princess Snake grinned. "O, hell, I'LL even cook. Peppermint cookies from me."  
  
King Kai leaned against the table. "You? COOK?"  
  
"Yes, me cook. I AM a princess after all."  
  
"More like a pampered old bitch," he muttered under his breath.  
  
Gohan's lowed jaw hit the floor. "YOU know how to curse?" he asked in wonder.  
  
"Don't tell anybody," he muttered, this time to Gohan. "Come on."  
  
"And you're calling ME old. How long have YOU been around?"  
  
"I don't think you want to know. Probably as long as you."  
  
"What do you mean by that? I'm only 19!"  
  
"I've know you longer than 19 years."  
  
"I didn't say 19 YEARS. But in that case, I have plenty of experience at being 19."  
  
"Come on King Kai," Gohan urged. "I have to go!"  
  
"How many zeroes are after that?"  
  
"King Kai!" Gohan shouted in the blue ear just inches from his face. "WE HAVE TO GO!!" Finally he grabbed the master's sleeve and dragged him out, King Kai still yelling insults.  
  
"And people call ME immature," Gohan muttered. It was going to be a LONG trip. He heard that Princess Snake could hear them all the way to King Kai's place.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Surprisingly, Bulma didn't put the job off for two days. It took her only half an hour to get herself together and find Vegeta. Well, the second part wasn't hard. It was a spaceship. There was only so many places the idiot could be.  
  
"Lunkhead! Dummy? Little bastard! VEGETA, I'm TRYING to get your attention!"  
  
He merely turned his head to give her an I'm-listening, what-do-you-want look. Then he smirked and said, "Woman, you're picking up the laws faster than I though you would."  
  
"Forget the goddamn laws," she snarled. "I want to tell you something."  
  
He cocked his head in a nonverbal "What?"  
  
"I wanted to say that I'm ssss. That's I'm s-s-o--a. That I ap--apo--" She clamped her mouth shut and turned red as she clenched her fist and tried counting to ten. Under Vegeta's amused glare she made it halfway to two. "Bastard," she began through gritted teeth. "Ishouldn'thavemadethatremarkaboutFrieza," she finished as fast as she could. "So, I'm ss-- I'm done."  
  
She turned and took one step before slamming into him. "Was that an apology, woman?"  
  
"As close as you'll ever get," she answered as sweetly as possible without sounding like she wanted to wring his neck.  
  
"Aw, man! I missed it!" Krillin said as he came into the room. "That sucks!"  
  
"Sorry he got away," Goku muttered as he dragged Krillin back out saying, "You wouldn't understand it anyway. She said it too fast."  
  
Krillin's voice drowned out and Bulma turned to Vegeta again. "By the way, when you want to get someone's attention, CALL them. DON'T just do that little speed thing. It gets annoying."  
  
"Bulma."  
  
"Huh?" The sound of her name coming from him was almost more foreign than any language she'd ever heard. "What?"  
  
"You talk too damn much."  
  
"Gee, thanks. Can I go now?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why the hell not? You want to crash-land on ANOTHER planet?"  
  
"If it gets rid of Cueball."  
  
"Yeah, well. He goes, I go, you probably go and then we'll ALL be happy, then won't we?" She tried to push past him, but he moved so she fell against the wall. "I take it back," she said evenly as she scrambled to her feet. "I take the damn apology back!"  
  
"I've already accepted it, woman. You can't."  
  
"I can do whatever the hell I please."  
  
"You won't when you're my mate."  
  
"How many times do I HAVE to tell you? I am NOT your fucking MATE!!"  
  
He smirked at her. "You will be woman. I can guarantee it."  
  
"Bet me," she hissed.  
  
"You'll lose. And I don't bet on something that is sure to happen. It takes the fun out of the game."  
  
"Arrogant bastard. How the hell are you so sure?"  
  
He yanked gently on a piece of her hair and smirked. "Make no mistake woman, I'm determined. And I get EVERYTHING I want."  
  
"Well this time the damn pampered palace brat isn't getting what he wants. Sorry, your MAGESTY, but I'm just as damn stubborn as you are, and I say no."  
  
"You'll change your mind."  
  
"Why the hell are you so damn cocky about this?"  
  
He turned, then looked at her over his shoulder. "When you come around, you'll know." With that he smirked at her and left to torture Krillin.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma tried to avoid Vegeta as much as possible, but it wasn't going to happen in the confined space of the ship. So she'd taken to locking herself in her room and nonverbally daring Vegeta to blow it up.  
  
Which is why he was currently yelling, "Woman! Get out here now!"  
  
"Screw you!" she yelled back as she rolled over to face the wall. He was silent for a moment, then Bulma thought about what she just said. "Forget it!"  
  
Vegeta smirked even though she couldn't see it. "Woman, Cueball doesn't know how to use the telephone. He told me to ask you for help."  
  
"Well, you're not ASKING, and since WHEN do you listen to Krillin?" She sat up enough to see over her shoulder and looked at the closed door. He didn't answer, and Bulma didn't expect one. She knew perfectly well the only reason he was doing as Krillin said was to annoy her. "So then get Goku to do it. I was TRYING to sleep!"  
  
"Kakorrot's asleep," Vegeta answered, crossing his arms. "I'm getting impatient."  
  
"I don't give a damn, your HIGHNESS," Bulma said acidly. "Why the hell don't YOU do it?" Another silence, and Bulma knew she'd gotten him there. He didn't want to admit he didn't know how to do something, but he still wanted her out of the room. "Human technology too advanced for you?" she mocked.  
  
"Forget it woman," Vegeta snapped and stalked back to where Krillin sat.  
  
Bulma laced her fingers together and folded her hands behind her head. "Game, set, and match," she said. Rolling over she smiled and said faintly, "It's a wonderful life."  
  
**============================================**  
  
Two days later, Bulma was trying to get one hand out of Vegeta's grasp while hitting him with the other. "I take it back. I take it back!" she said through gritted teeth. "Let me go, bastard!"  
  
He only smirked at her. "Woman, please. We've been through this before."  
  
"I know. Which is why you should already know my answer. NO!"  
  
The next bit of argument was interrupted by Goku clearing his throat. It didn't sound like the first time he'd done it. "Um, Bulma? Chi Chi."  
  
Bulma sighed and shook her head. "Let me go! I have a goddamn phone call!"  
  
As she yanked on her arm, Vegeta let her go. She stumbled back a few paces and glared at him. "Finally," she muttered, rubbing her wrist. "Goddamn good-for-nothing pain-in-my-ass." Vegeta smiled at that, even though she couldn't see him THEN either.  
  
"Bulma? What's going on?" Chi Chi asked as Bulma plopped down in front of the newly-installed camera and moved it up to focus on her face.  
  
"Nothing. Just planning on how to make a certain man my own personal Saiyan pincushion." At the baffled look on her friend's face, Bulma laughed. "Never mind. So, what's up?"  
  
"What's TAKING you so long? You were supposed to be here MONTHS ago! Even DENDE is here!"  
  
Bulma vaguely remembered the little green kid Gohan had instantly bonded with. "Wait a sec. DENDE'S there? WHY?"  
  
"I have no idea!" Chi Chi shook her head. "It's crazy over here!"  
  
"Great," Bulma muttered sarcastically. "Just what I need."  
  
"GOHAN is back before you guys!" Chi Chi said, then her eyes narrowed. "Which reminds me…"  
  
"So, how IS Gohan?" Bulma broke in, loudly enough for Krillin to hear. The ex monk immediately turned white and fell back against the wall.  
  
"Well, he's not dead!"  
  
"That's always a plus," Bulma said cheerfully. "But when you're dead you don't have to worry about anything! Just think of it that way."  
  
"My father told me the same thing," Chi Chi growled. "And let me tell you, it didn't work any better then than it does now!"  
  
Bulma looked past Chi Chi and her eyes lit up when she saw the visitor. "Yamcha!" He turned and saw it was indeed his battle-scarred face that was facing her direction.  
  
He grinned and pushed someone out of the way. "Bulma! Hey! How are you? I've missed you!"  
  
She smiled happily. "Me too. I'm all right, I guess."  
  
"What's taking so long? I've been waiting for ages!"  
  
"I know," Bulma said sadly. "But this damn hunk of junk doesn't seem to want to stay in space."  
  
Chi Chi was still between them, only now Yamcha was pushing her away. Bulma saw him and started to laugh. "What?" he asked, obviously confused.  
  
"Your... HAIR!" she choked out, holding a hand over her mouth. "It looks like Chi Chi put you through a blender!" She almost howled with laughter at how stupid he looked.  
  
"Bulma, he looks like he went at it with a weedwhacker," Chi Chi chimed in helpfully.  
  
"No, it looked that BEFORE. NOW it's the blender look!" She winked at him and grinned. it was SHORT, almost a crew cut and was NEAT.  
  
"Jeez, Bulma, that wasn't very nice," he mock-lectured half-heartedly.  
  
"Well standing me up wasn't very nice either," she shot back.  
  
He winced. "You STILL mad about that? How about I make up for it when you get back? A night on the town, you and me."  
  
She cocked her head to one side. "I'll consider it. Right now I have other things to think about."  
  
"Tell me about it," he said, asking instead of replying.  
  
"Oh, just the other man lusting after my body," she replied simply, waving her hand regally.  
  
"Oh. What?!" Then he seemed to think about it. "Goku wouldn't notice, Krillin wouldn't dare... Who else IS there?"  
  
A loud commotion from the other side of the room made Bulma give Yamcha a wait-a-minute signal. Hands on hips, she turned to the direction and said as loudly as she could, "Vegeta, stop that! No! Put Krillin DOWN! GENTLY! Will you stop squishing him! You're killing him, and that's MY job!" Vegeta obeyed and made an "after you" motion with his hands. "No, I'm not going to kill him NOW! Sheesh! EVERY time I TRY to have a conversation, you go and screw it up!"  
  
Yamcha was sputtering on the other end. "V-V-Vegeta! What's HE doing there?!"  
  
Bulma turned her attention back to Yamcha warily, ready to yell at Vegeta again if necessary. "Don't ask me. Goku invited him. And his thumb works."  
  
"He hitchiked a ride with you," Yamcha said with some disbelief.  
  
"Pretty much," Bulma admitted, almost in a defeated tone. Then she could make out Chi Chi saying, "Well, hello Marron. What a pleasant surprise. Are you here with Yamcha?" One look at her boyfriend's face and Bulma knew she was.  
  
Seeing the turquoise-haired beauty was about to explode, Yamcha grinned the most winning smile in his repertoire and started to say something...  
  
...only to be promptly interrupted by Bulma. "You LIED to me AGAIN Yamcha?! You have another girl with you, and you're asking me out again? You're cheating on me right under my nose, then asking me back out in front of your latest girl?! What kind of sick person ARE you?" She thought about that. "MARRON! You're with MARRON?!"  
  
She was about to launch into another speech when she was pushed away. Vegeta smirked at her before she could ask what his problem was. "I want to see this Yamcha."  
  
"You HAVE, moron!" she yelled as she smacked his arm. "Excuse me! I was having a conversation with my ex boyfriend!"  
  
As usual, he ignored her. Instead, he turned his attention to Yamcha and chuckled. "It's the weakling."  
  
"Well, then I guess he's perfect for me since I'm supposedly weak too!" she yelled back. "Get away! This doesn't concern you."  
  
"Anything that concerns you concerns me. You're my mate," Vegeta snarled. While Yamcha sputtered some more, Vegeta smirked at her. "He doesn't deserve you. Why else would he be choosing another mate over you?"  
  
Yamcha finally got a coherent word out. "WHAT?! She's your WHAT?!"  
  
Vegeta barely glanced at him. "Shut up, weakling."  
  
"You're hitting on my girlfriend! No way!"  
  
"BOTH of you shut up!" Bulma shouted over the bickering men. "I have a few things to say to you morons!" At least now she could speak without having to yell at the top of her lungs.  
  
She stopped and finally Vegeta crossed his arms and said, "Well, go on, woman."  
  
"One: Yamcha, I'm NOT your girlfriend Vegeta, NO! Yamcha, you're a lying, cheating, ignorant bastard. Vegeta, NO!" She turned to Vegeta and then back to the viewscreen. "I can't believe you're cheating on me with HER. Vegeta, NEVER!"  
  
"Are you done yet woman?" he asked smugly.  
  
"NOT until I get it through you goddamn THICK head that even IF I could stand you for more than two minutes, I STILL wouldn't HANG OUT with you let alone MARRY you!"  
  
"You mean be my mate," Vegeta corrected.  
  
"Same freaking THING," Bulma hissed, crossing her arms. "Only MY way is SO much better-sounding."  
  
"No it isn't," he said. "And you didn't answer my question."  
  
"No. I'm NOT DONE!" she yelled at him. "I'm gonna kill someone. Where's Krillin?" she asked, inspired.  
  
Chi Chi could clearly see the tiny man sneaking behind her friend, one finger to his lips. She swallowed a giggle and looked Bulma in the eye. She wasn't THAT mean to her husband's best friend. Vegeta smirked as he saw the little monk tiptoe by, but even HE wasn't going to say anything. Yamcha was still too dazed to do much anyway.  
  
Bulma's attention was brought to Krillin when he made it to the training room and slammed the door. The sound of two clicking locks followed, then heavy panting. "Krillin!"  
  
"Leave him be, woman," Vegeta ordered.  
  
"Shut up! I don't have to listen to you!" She smacked him in the center of his chest.  
  
He smirked and looked down at the spot where she'd half-punched him. "You're getting better," he admitted. "I almost felt that."  
  
"Good! Which means you aren't as tough as you think you are, you tailless freak!"  
  
For the second time in as many hours Bulma was hanging from the end of Vegeta's arm, her feet swinging carelessly above the floor. 'All right, so that's ANOTHER button not to push.'  
  
"Put me down!" she ordered calmly. "Now."  
  
Vegeta only shook her. "I do not appreciate being insulted by a weakling!"  
  
"Really?" Bulma asked, sounding like she was on a roller coaster from his shaking. "It didn't seem that way before."  
  
"Vegeta! Stop! You're gonna break her neck!" Krillin shouted over whatever Vegeta growled. "You can KILL her that way!"  
  
That seemed to break through the other warrior's thoughts. He stopped, scowl frozen on his face. Everyone at Chi Chi's house was trying to see what was going on because they were out of camera range. Yamcha was practically purple from rage and Chi Chi was nearly blue from worry.  
  
Vegeta growled and put her on her feet. She rolled her head to try and crack her neck, then mistook Vegeta for the wall and leaned on him until the world stopped splining. Getting both her spinning head and her stomach under control, she glared at him.  
  
Putting a hand to the aching base of her neck, she kept her eyes on Vegeta, but spoke to Krillin with death clearly defined in her voice. "I'm going to bed now. Tell Chi Chi goodnight." Then she dropped her hand and stalked off toward her room without another word.  
  
"Woman!" Vegeta barked after her. She only gave him the one-finger salute over her shoulder and continued on. Until she got to the -- locked -- door.  
  
"Dammit! What IS it today?" She turned around and scowled out at her companions. "Kami, what do you want with me?" she asked despairingly.  
  
"Woman."  
  
She looked up and glared at him. "This better be good," she warned.  
  
"Did I hurt you?"  
  
She seemed surprised by the question. "No, Vegeta. You only almost broke my neck. No big deal," she said sarcastically. "Of course, you bastard! You do THAT to me and expect me to NOT be hurt? I'm only human!"  
  
Suddenly they heard tapping on the other end of the viewscreen. "Hey! Is anyone over there?"  
  
Bulma turned red, then white at the sound of Master Roshi's voice. She scowled and stood up, then crossed her arms over her chest. "Kami, why me?" she moaned to herself. "This can't be happening to me!"  
  
Goku looked up at the tone of her voice. She'd never sounded so... DEFEATED. He guessed she'd worn herself out being pissed off at Vegeta 24-7. This last bit was just her undoing.  
  
"I'm not talking to ANYONE right now," Bulma hissed, just loud enough for him to hear. "Especially YOU, Roshi. And that stupid pig with you!"  
  
"Hey, how'd you know I was here?" Oolong asked as he popped up next to Mater Roshi.  
  
"Because my life is hell," Bulma muttered as she let her head fall back against the door. "That's just my luck today."  
  
"What's HER problem?" Oolong asked Goku, who was the only one he could SEE.  
  
Goku looked her over. "She's having a bad day."  
  
"Goku, that is the BIGGEST understatement I have ever HEARD!" Bulma ranted from her corner. "I am with three idiot MEN, I've crash-landed this damn piece of SHIT more times than I want to remember and I'm dressed in an outfit that isn't fit for the BEACH!" At that last part she slapped her forehead and slouched. "Oh, shit!"  
  
Master Roshi's eyes lit up and Oolong crammed gainst the screen. "Really?"  
  
Vegeta smirked and started playing with the camera, swinging it back in fort in a narrow arc, bringing it close to revealing Bulma.  
  
"Vegeta, I swear, if you let them see me..." Bulma threatened. Seeing the superior look in his eyes, she growled and said evenly, "I'll give you rat-sized portions for the rat-sized RAT!"  
  
He swung it again, then flipped it down so they could only see the floor. "I wouldn't let them see you like that."  
  
"That is the ONLY thing you've done this ENTIRE trip that either hasn't hurt me or gotten me pissed off. VERY GOOD! Now, Goku. I want you to open my door."  
  
He looked up. "Huh? How?"  
  
"I don't care, just do it!" She leaned against the wall as Goku got to his feet and out a hand to her head. "I need some sleep. A lot of sleep."  
  
Goku fumbled with the lock, and Bulma saw he had the key in his hand. When he looked up at her sudden rise in power, he could practically SEE the steam coming out of her ears. "Bulma?" he asked hesitantly.  
  
"Goku," she said as calmly as possible, holding out her hand. "Give me the key." He set it in her palm and she grabbed it as soon as he started to back away. 'Well, he's smarter than he looks,' she thought to herself. "I think Cactus Head would've just--" She couldn't finish the thought she was so pissed at Vegeta. "Thank you," she said through gritted teeth, then slammed the door.  
  
Krillin let out a low whistle. "I wonder how many of us are actually going to MAKE it back to Earth."  
  
**============================================**  
  
"Woman!" Vegeta barked, rapping on the door and cracking it in several places. "Get your ass out here!"  
  
Bulma, still mentally exhausted and coming up with new threats every other second, picked her head up and glared at the noisy door. "Shut up!"  
  
"Woman!"  
  
"Vegeta, I swear..." she began, only to find the door had been thrown off its hinges and Vegeta was tumbling toward her even as she fell off he bed.  
  
Vegeta shook his head and glared at the opening in the wall from the impact. "As I was telling you, Kakorrot doesn't know what he is doing."  
  
"WHAT?!" Bulma groped around for a sheet and wrapped it around her, momentarily forgetting they'd all seen her like that already. "Goku!"  
  
He turned, a sheepish look on his face. "I can't beat this level," he said with a small grin. He stepped away from the joysticks and said, "Help me?"  
  
Bulma stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the controls. "Goku, what are you doing?"  
  
He had a lost little boy look on his face when he looked up. "I can't get past this level in the game," he explained, pointing out the window. "Help?"  
  
Bulma's eyes rolled back in her head but she stayed on her feet. Leaning against Vegeta, she quickly scanned the controls from where she was. Goku had somehow completely disoriented the map, broken the lasers and destroyed the other controls almost beyond recognition. She sagged against the slightly shorter Saiyan warrior and shook her head.  
  
"Goku, this is NOT a video game!" she lectured, standing up.  
  
He wasn't listening though. His gaze was focused out the window and was grinning from ear to ear. "Hey! I made it!"  
  
"What?" Bulma asked, a little confused.  
  
"The scene changed! I made it to the next level!" Goku crowed cheerfully.  
  
Bulma stood next to her friend and gasped at the speeding planet. Somehow he'd gotten them into a nosedive and they were headed straight for a planet that was completely blue with swirling lighter shades in rings around it. She then fainted at the high speed they were traveling at and completely missed the wonderful crash landing.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma found herself waking up as she often did now: with a pounding headache and having a total of two places she WASN'T sore. She groaned and picked her head up, spitting out dirt and a chunk of rock. From some of the scrap metal laying around, Bulma guessed the ship had finally had it and exploded.  
  
She painfully pushed herself onto her knees and glanced around. It was a forest, with a mountain not far away and a steep gorge opposite it. A thick blue fog blanketed the ground, making it nearly impossible to see. Grumbling and swearing under her breath, she stumbled to her feet and leaned against a tree until her head stopped spinning. Now facing away from both the mountain on her left and the gorge on her right, she found she was on the edge of a cliff, and below, a river of ashy lava.  
  
"Perfect," she muttered to herself. "Great." She scooped up a piece of the Namekian vessel and scowled at it when she realized it was part of the control board. About two inches square. She looked at it, then carelessly flipped it out away from her and casually watched it fall into the rushing molten rock, as if saying "The hell with it."  
  
Battered and bloody. but definitely NOT defeated, she began to climb up the semi-steep stone face to see where she was. Either than or shimmy up the tree about fifty feet before reaching a branch.  
  
Finally getting worn out and no closer to the top of the mountain, she slid down a dirt path deeper into the woods. At the bottom, she rested her head back and looked at the sky. Blue and a dark navy color swirled together to form marvelous patterns and pictures.  
  
She laced her fingers together and folded her hands behind her head, content to just lay there for a good long while. She was probably resting a total of about five minutes when she heard the bushes rustling, and something that felt somewhat like ki approaching. She opened one eye and saw a boy, maybe ten years old, staring down at her curiously. So she screamed.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Krillin shook his head and glared and the inside of his eyelids. Slowly opening his eyes, he could SWEAR they creaked with the effort. He rolled onto his back and coughed once, taking in a deep breath. As if that were a cue, he started again, a hacking cough that wouldn't stop. It took a few minutes for him to settle down, then he took in the new surroundings. It was hard to make out anything farther away than four of five feet, other than the jet black tree trunks that stood out like beacons in the cobalt-colored fog.  
  
Groaning inwardly at the pain, he got to his feet and tried to sense Goku or Bulma. Hell, he was even ready to travel with Vegeta if he had to. But he couldn't feel anyone, not even a dying power. He felt something vaguely like what he was used to, but it wasn't ki. Unable to distinguish the foreign source, he headed toward the nearest... thing in hopes he could figure out what was going on.  
  
He pulled the tattered remains of his gi around his chest and shook his head slowly to avoid dizziness. If it wasn't for Goku, the ship wouldn't have crashed yet AGAIN and they would still have transportation that WASN'T in literally a million pieces. But he couldn't really blame Goku. The taller fighter had this air about him that made it impossible for Krillin to stay mad at.  
  
Tripping over rocks, tree roots, pieces of the ship, and what looked like half of a magic wand, Krillin cursed Goku's childishness. To a certain extent.   
  
Realizing he wasn't going to get too much farther, Krillin sat down and shook his head. "Might as well," he muttered to himself. Kicking a joystick, he scowled. "It's not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon."  
  
**============================================**  
  
Goku plopped down on the tree stump, elbows propped on his knees, chin in hands, and a small pout forming. He'd been looking ever since the ship crashed for Krillin, but the monk was nowhere to be found, or felt.  
  
Depressed, he drew a heart in the sand with his toe and stared at it. "I miss you, Chi Chi." Then he drew a smaller one inside and colored it in to the best of his ability. "You too, Gohan." He bit his lower lip and sighed, sitting up a little to stretch his back.  
  
A sudden noise caught his attention, the sound of someone falling. He looked up, a familiar grin sliding over his face. Getting up slowly, he listened carefully, his sixth sense not feeling a ki.  
  
"Hey Krillin!" he yelled as he started to run. "Wait for me!"  
  
**============================================**  
  
Vegeta scowled as he kicked down another tree. The explosion hadn't knocked him out, but it DID scratch him quite a bit. "Damn you, Kakorrot!" he yelled to the trees. He couldn't sense the others either, but he could feel the natives of his place. "Why HERE of all places did you choose to crash?!"  
  
Another row of trees fell neatly to the ground, chopped into fifths by Vegeta. Now the sense was getting stronger and he smirked. These people liked to give him a hard time, but they were no longer protected by Frieza's treaty. He had longed to get back at the magic users, wizards and magicians here since his youth. Actually grinning, Vegeta prowled on.  
  
"Now, you are mine." 


	10. Part 10

Krillin shook his head and scowled out at the tree trunks that were almost as big around as the ship. "Dammit! Where the hell IS this place anyway? The freaking south POLE?" He shivered against his better will and growled at nothing. "I am going to KILL something!"  
  
"Krillin! Wait up!"  
  
He turned at the sound of Goku's voice. Then he shook his head and smacked himself just below his ear. "Great. Now I'm hearing things too!" He looked down at his dangling legs and kicked them impatiently. "I need a vacation!"  
  
"Krillin!" Goku tackled his friend, knocking them both off the stump. He looked his friend over and grinned. Then the smile faded and he effortlessly hauled the human to his feet and bushed him off. 'Wow. You really got beat up."  
  
"No, shit, Goku," he muttered as he slapped his friend's hands away. He was still extremely confused. Even now Goku's ki was barely detectable. "Goku? How did you find me?"  
  
The Saiyan gave him a strange look. "Well, I could feel you were there, so I came to find you. And anyone could hear you crashing around!"  
  
"Wait a sec!" Krillin held up his hands in a "time out" position. "How come I can't sense you, and you're standing right next to me, but you could tell I was HERE and you were... farther away?"  
  
Goku seemed puzzled by that. "I don't know." Then he shrugged and went back to trying to find the extent of Krillin's injuries, still chattering. There was nothing for Krillin to do, so he just sat there and... endured.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma struggled to her feet as she backpedaled away from the strange kid. He wore something that looked like it was straight out of the Bible, tied together with a sash. Then she noticed the young kid, probably not older than Gohan staring at her with a look of amusement. And she HATED being laughed at.  
  
The older boy -- a kid with straight, jet black hair and eyes the same color as the fog, and a somehow pale complexion -- the one with the stick, had a look of childish curiosity. "You're weird," he said in something that sounded remarkably like Spanish. It took Bulma a moment to realize it was Italian. She had never really gotten into a study of it, just enough to talk with her father's partner in Italy.  
  
"You're one to talk," she muttered back, speaking so he could understand. She looked up when he started poking her with the stick and grabbed it at lighting speed. "Yes, I'm real," she growled, yanking it out of his hands. "As you'll find out after I kick your ass!"  
  
"Hey! give me back my staff!" he yelled, lunging for the three-foot stick she held. She pulled it just beyond his reach and stuck her arm out to stop him.  
  
"Kid, please. I am NOT in the mood for you damn games!" She wrapped her arm around his waist and held him off the ground, then turned to face the little boy. "What do YOU want?" she snapped. This one had a sort of tannish complexion and curly brown hair with impish green eyes that seemed to promise something that she wouldn't like.  
  
"I want you to put my brother down," an older voice snapped. Bulma sighed and noted the form of a taller boy, one that was almost as tall as herself. Being short, and hearing the gravelly voice, she put him in his late teens, around seventeen.  
  
"Didn't you tell him never to talk to strangers?" she retorted, but dropped the unsuspecting boy. He scrambled to his feet and dusted himself off, glaring at her. The action only made her want to laugh. "So, who the hell are you?"  
  
"Roshon. Leader of this circle," he answered, stepping into the light. He was also pale, with black hair hanging to his shoulders and haunting blue eyes. He looked like an older version of the kid she'd just put down, also carrying a stick. He glared at her sternly, then commanded simply, "Give him back his staff."  
  
Bulma turned it over in her hand. "What? This thing? Sure. No use to me anyway." She tossed it back to the boy, who grabbed it and held it to him like it was a new teddy bear he'd just gotten.  
  
Roshon kept a wary eye on her as he went to kneel by his brother's side. "Are you all right, Abtoni?"  
  
Abtoni nodded. "She didn't hurt me. Just scared me a little." He glared at Bulma. "Why don't you need a staff? All practisers of the Art need one eventually. Even Roshon, and there's NO one more powerful than HE is!"  
  
"Kid, I have NO idea WHAT you're talking about! What the HELL is the ART?"  
  
Roshon looked taken aback by the question. "You must not be of our guild to not know the Art." He looked at her, then seemed to be listening for something. "You ARE strange. I can't tell your magic type at all."  
  
Bulma barely held in a laugh. "Magic! You're talking about MAGIC?!"  
  
Roshon nodded, serious. "Of course. What else would I be talking about?"  
  
"Well, I don't know. I'm not from around here."  
  
Roshon looked at her curiously. "All of this planet knows of magic. It is how we survive. How can one live without?"  
  
Bulma bit her lower lip to keep from giving the guy a list. "I'm not FROM this planet! I crashed here trying to get home!"  
  
That seemed to shock them into silence. All except the little one. He grinned and stepped up to her. "Can I try a spell on you?" he asked innocently.  
  
"No you cannot try a spell on me!" Bulma quickly snapped. "Besides, I don't believe in magic!"  
  
"Dareno! Come back!" Abtoni yelled over to his friend.  
  
Dareno ignored him and grinned up at Bulma mischievously. "What if I did anyway?"  
  
Bulma sighed and shook her head. "Kid, I've got SHOES older than you! You don't scare me! HE doesn't either!" she said, pointing to Roshon. "All right? Back off!"  
  
Roshon stood and pulled Dareno back by his robe collar. "I told you to make sure of their magic type FIRST!" he lectured. "She could be a WIZARD!"  
  
Dareno looked indignant. "I DID, and she doesn't HAVE one!"  
  
Roshon looked over at Bulma. "No magic? But how..."  
  
"I TOLD you," Bulma said impatiently. "On my planet, we don't HAVE magic! Or ever DID as far as we know! Men! No matter WHAT planet they're on, they're STILL the stupidest beings there are!"  
  
"Really? I'm sure we not all THAT bad!" A deep bass voice echoed among the trees and Bulma froze. The huge man dropped down to the ground, staff in hand and looking her over. He was tall, much taller than Bulma, muscular and looked like he'd been swinging a sword since he was four. Intense brown eyes were constantly moving, blond hair falling to his shoulders, and an air of great importance about him. Bulma knew right away he was a warrior.  
  
'I'm in DEEP shit,' Bulma thought to herself. 'DEEP.'  
  
**============================================**  
  
Gohan skipped all the way back to his friend's house, humming a lullaby he'd picked up somewhere. Princess Snake was waiting for him on the road with more cookies than he could have ever imagined. Well THAT went a bit far, but it was a LOT. Even at the speed HE ate, he wouldn't be able to finish them all quickly. And for once, he was utterly speechless.  
  
After he finally got his jaw back in place, he grinned up at her and bowed slightly as he took them. "Thank you," he breathed. "No one's ever been THIS nice to me before!"  
  
Snake looked surprised and she ruffled his hair. "Well, they should be. You're a sweet, charming, POLITE little boy. I bet you're going to grow up and be a lady killer." She winked at him, then laughed as King Kai fell over in shock.  
  
"I hope not," Gohan said as he shivered.  
  
Snake laughed again and picked him up, setting him on one shoulder and the five garbage can sized bags on the other. "No, that just means the girls will like you a lot. Silly," she insulted affectionately.  
  
Gohan stuck out his tongue. "Yuck! I hope not!"  
  
She shook her head and sat him in the back of the car. "Come on. I'll drive you back."  
  
"Can I start eating these now?" he asked hopefully, peering into one bag.  
  
"Of course. Go right ahead," she said as she slipped into the driver's seat.  
  
He stopped with the first one touching his lips. He held it out a little sheepishly. "Want some?"  
  
"No thanks. We made them all for you. They're yours."  
  
"Wow! Thanks!" Snake kept her eyes on the road for fear that she would become occupied trying to watch his hands. She knew he was eating because of the crumbs littering the floor and the bulge in the bags decreasing, but other than that, she wouldn't know. She couldn't see his hands move.  
  
"Hey! What's this?" He showed her the black oval cosmetics case she'd put in the bottom of the bag. From the way he was rubbing his mouth, she guessed he'd tried to eat it.  
  
Giggling a little, she gently pulled it from his hands and opened it. "See? It's a mirror."  
  
Gohan made a face. "That's the stuff my mom uses. Make-up, she says. You're giving me blush?"  
  
"No. That's only what it looks like." She pulled the bottom up to reveal a keyboard. "You see? This is so we can stay in touch. There's a button to say something to King Kai, and something there to contact me."  
  
"Wow! This is neat!" Gohan looked at it carefully before putting it in his shirt, in the new pocket he'd gotten. "Thank you!"  
  
"Anything for you, Gohan." She suddenly realized that they were there, having not taken the road. "Well, here we are."  
  
"Already?!" He looked out and saw it was indeed the snake head at the end of the road. "Wow. That didn't even take a whole DAY, I don't think."  
  
"I know. Go on. They're waiting for you." She smiled sadly at him, this kid who'd somehow charmed his way into her heart.  
  
He looked back at her. "I'll miss you." He gave her a quick hug and a small kiss on her forehead. "I promise I'll visit next time I die!" Before she could look up again he was gone.  
  
"Well, I never was much of one for goodbyes," he said to herself as she waved. "Goodbye Gohan. I'll miss you too."  
  
**============================================**  
  
"Krillin? Where do you think Bulma and Vegeta are?" Goku asked as he plunked down on a branch and rubbed his arms a little.  
  
"Hopefully not together," he muttered back. "Otherwise we can probably kiss THIS planet goodbye." He shivered and cursed the strange weather here. Anywhere under the trees was like a Maine winter, but anything above them was like a tropical summer, complete with volcanoes. Taking cold over being hot, they flew just under the top branches to rise and warm up if need be.  
  
"Hmm," he said as he kicked a piece of scrap. The skittering, jagged piece of the ship was the most action they'd seen in over an hour and a half.  
  
"I think we should look for them. Hell, I'd even want to find VEGETA right now so we can get out of here." He watched Goku slide off and fall the sixty-something meters to the ground. "Hey! Where ya going?" he called down as he followed, though much more carefully and slowly.  
  
"Looking for them," Goku said as he lifted the corner of a rock.  
  
Krillin rolled his eyes. "Goku, I DON'T think they're under there."  
  
He gave his friend a look. "They could've been."  
  
Krillin bit his lip to keep from saying something that would undoubtedly get him pummelled into the ground. His slight hesitation was interrupted by the ground splintering, throwing the two warriors off their feet.  
  
"What the hell was THAT?" Krillin asked himself as he shot up to view the damage from above the trees.  
  
"Earthquake? Bulma and Vegeta?" Goku guessed as he appeared next to the monk.  
  
"No," Krillin said breathlessly. They were barely at a safe distance from the exploding lava and the thick ashy black smoke that was being forced out of the mountain in front of them. "It's a volcano."  
  
"Is that bad?"  
  
Krillin grabbed his friend's arm and started to fly for all he was worth. "Is that bad?" he muttered under his breath. "Yes, Goku, that's VERY bad!"  
  
"Oh. Why?"  
  
Krillin felt the urge to smack his best friend, but there was no time. "Because! That red stuff could probably turn you into a little pile of dogfood in about three seconds!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
Krillin felt the urge to beat on him grow stronger. "Because it's hot. And you ask me why one more time I'll THROW you in it!" he growled through gritted teeth.  
  
"OK." Goku was silent before saying, "It would be faster if *I* pulled YOU."  
  
"Fine." Krillin, clearly annoyed by now, allowed Goku to get a hold on one arm. "Let's go, will you!"  
  
Goku smiled back at him and nodded once. That was the only thing Krillin could see before they were off in a mad rush to nowhere.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma gulped as she took a step back, the tall man giving a dangerous smirk. "Who the hell ARE you people?" she finally cried.  
  
Roshon looked at her and shook his head. "I've already told you. We are from the Winding Circle."  
  
"You told me no such thing!" Bulma protested, keeping an eye on the big man in front of her. "Not to mention I don't know what the hell that means!"  
  
"A circle is a group of magicians," Dareno explained impatiently, like it was obvious. "That's the name of ours. And Roshon is our leader. He could probably beat the wizards!"  
  
"Dareno!" Roshon snapped. "Don't tell her THAT! She COULD be working with them! The last thing we need is for them to know one of US is rising in power!"  
  
He looked sheepish. "Sorry."  
  
Abtoni looked at Bulma and scowled. "She doesn't know them. If she did, she wouldn't be as afraid as she is."  
  
Bulma laughed despite herself. "You know, this KID is pretty damn smart. Why can't you guys figure that out?"  
  
"My brother has learned some of the wizards' ways. It had affected his magic and his mind."  
  
"For the better," Bulma muttered. "Hey! Do you mind calling off your pet here?" She eyed the man angrily. "Will you stop? I don't need any more people looking at me like that! Vegeta's enough!"  
  
Roshon, about to tell the Incredible Hulk to back off, forgot to close his mouth. "VEGETA! You know VEGETA?!"  
  
Bulma crossed her arms. "Unfortunately. Man, did that guy get AROUND!"  
  
Roshon grabbed her arm and scowled. "Byraem, carry her. I think we've just found a spy."  
  
"What? Bullshit!" Bulma yelled as she was hoisted onto the guy's shoulder. Pounding on the broad back, she screamed as loud as she could, "I'm going to KILL you Vegeta!"  
  
Not even looking down, her fist encountered a large gash in his back. Needless to say, she was immediately dropped. He spun and scowled at her, saber drawn. "I know you are working for Vegeta. No one else would strike at an open wound!"  
  
"Well, no one that I know would carry off a woman and say she was a spy either," Bulma shot back as she got to her feet. "And if you COVERED the damn thing, I wouldn't have been able to HIT it. In fact, if you didn't try to take me away, I wouldn't have HAD to!"  
  
"You've got a big mouth for such a little thing," he lectured as he put his saber away.  
  
"I know. And you've got such a small brain for such a FAT HEAD!"  
  
He was about to draw his sword when Roshon tapped his arm. "Do as you wish, but don't kill her." He shot a look at Bulma. "If she DOES work for Vegeta I want him to know his forces are weak."  
  
"All right! I've had ENOUGH! If I get called weak ONE more FREAKING TIME--" She cut herself off at the look in Byraem's eye. She swallowed thickly then found that the others were already gone.  
  
'I know that look,' Bulma thought to herself. 'He's a big guy.' She took a step back. 'And he looks lustful.' And another step away. 'And I'm dressed like THIS!' She turned and ran all-out.  
  
She didn't get far before the mental order to run got caught somewhere between her head and her waist because her legs refused to obey. "Damn!" she swore as she slowed down, then her arms stopped working as well. "What the--"  
  
She was cut off by the staff hitting her in the mouth. "Silence, spy," Byraem ordered sharply, then tapped the sharpened end against the hollow of her throat. "You might as well relax. You're not going anywhere."  
  
Bulma found that the only thing she could move was her head. So she did the only thing she could think of. She tilted her head back and screamed for all she was worth. The soldier whacked her again, so this time she yelled in pain instead of in fear.  
  
"I told you to be quiet," he hissed dangerously, gently placing his staff on the ground. "Or this will be much more painful for you."  
  
"If I'm NOT quiet, then I won't get help," Bulma muttered. Once he got close enough she spit out the blood that was seeping into her mouth. Right into his outstretched hand.  
  
Byraem chuckled. "You don't know when to stop, do you?"  
  
"Nope. I never have before, and I don't see the point in starting now."  
  
He grinned satanically and advanced again, wiping the blood from his hand onto her chest. "You'll find out," he threatened. He turned around, and when he turned back, his blond hair was now missing in the back. Vegeta stood behind him, holding the strands, back to both of them.  
  
Byraem growled at Bulma, then faced Vegeta, abruptly turning white. "You should know better by now, magician. No one does that to my mate." Bulma rolled her eyes, but stayed quiet. As long as he got her out of this right now she would be perfectly content to play along. Vegeta turned, death clearly defined in his eyes. "And I protect what is mine."  
  
**============================================**  
  
Goku set an overheated Krillin down on the top branch of the nearest tree. "Krillin? Are you all right?"  
  
He opened one eye carefully. "Yeah. Fine." He sat up and rubbed his head, shaking it. "I'm just really hot!"  
  
Goku thought for a minute, then pushed Krillin off the branch to fall into the cold. He followed just to make sure Krillin didn't really hurt himself on anything because of his slower reaction time.  
  
"Holy shit!" Goku could barely understand him because of Krillin's badly chattering teeth. "Get me out of here!" He tried to fly up, but was somehow unable to.  
  
"I thought you were too hot," Goku said, even as he obeyed. "I was trying to cool you down."  
  
Once they were back where they started from, Krillin shot Goku a sharp look. "You've been hanging around Bulma since you were seven, and you didn't know not to go from extreme heat to extreme cold? WHY does that amaze me?"  
  
"Why shouldn't you do that?"  
  
"Most humans something really bad happens, like DEATH sometimes. Me? I just hurt all over and my power gets low." He shivered again and shook his head. Then his gaze fell downward and he saw a group of six. Four were dressed in robes similar to what the other monks had worn, and one had armor, and the other... "Goku! That's Bulma and Vegeta down there!"  
  
"What?!" Goku leaned over, mouth open. "Hey! You're right! Let's get them!" Without waiting, he charged ahead.  
  
"Um, GOKU?!" The taller man stopped and looked back. "A little help? I can't fly!"  
  
"Sure," Goku said, looking sheepish. "Sorry."  
  
Krillin allowed Goku to pick him up and nodded. "I'll bet we'll be even MORE sorry we went, but..." He shook his head. "Ready for a trip into hell?" At Goku's confused nod, Krillin sighed and said, "Then get your ass moving!"  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma forcefully bit back a remark about Vegeta, and somehow restrained herself from saying she wasn't his. Vegeta noticed the look she had and smirked, guessing what it was for.  
  
Bulma had to give Byraem SOME credit. He knew it was useless to fight Vegeta, but he didn't back down. 'Stupid, but brave,' Bulma thought to herself. 'And I thought that only happened in stories!'  
  
Vegeta turned his full attention to the magic warrior. Scowling, he advanced slowly. Byraem stood his ground. Barely. Once Vegeta was inches away from the MUCH taller man, he asked quietly -- so quietly that Byraem had to lean forward to hear -- "Who ordered you to do this?"  
  
Byraem shook his head. "I won't tell YOU."  
  
Vegeta smiled, and Bulma's eyes widened. He had that look right before he powered up and turned Zarbon into smaller-than-dust sized particles. "Fine. Then we'll have to do this my way."  
  
Bulma winced as Vegeta held the guy off the ground and scowled, starting to float. He smiled up at the guy devilishly, going higher until Bulma couldn't see them. Once above the trees, Vegeta freed one hand to blast a clear path down to the forest floor, narrowly missing his "mate." Now grinning from ear to ear, he lowered Byraem and whispered, "Are you going to tell me now?" The other man hesitated, then shook his head defiantly. "All right. I don't need to know. I'm going to get rid of all of you pests anyway. I would just draw it out on your commander." He held Byraem out and smiled again.  
  
"Vegeta! What the hell are you DOING?"  
  
"Getting rid of him!" he shouted down.  
  
"Well, DON'T! No one ORDERED him to do that! It was all HIM!"  
  
Vegeta cocked his head in mock thoughtfulness. "Is that so? Well, that changes things. I WON'T drop you." As a trained fighter, Vegeta saw the small amount of relief on Byraem's face. "I'll kill you with myself. With my bare hands!"  
  
The magician's eyes widened, then he reached into his robe for something. When he pulled out a purplish colored square, Vegeta abruptly dropped him.  
  
The stone began to glow and Byraem began to slow, until he was hovering just above the ground. Bulma shook her head in disbelief as the square faded and he dropped the last few inches to the now cleared forest floor. Vegeta scowled and landed a few paces away, hands clenched as tight as he could get them.  
  
"What the hell was THAT?" Bulma asked, forgetting to demand the reason why Vegeta dropped him.  
  
"It reduces magic," Vegeta said, scowling even deeper. "It works on ki, but only if we're touching the person using it." He looked at the warrior and shook his head. "Only this time he used it to increase HIS magic. He doesn't have a lot to start with since he's a Protector."  
  
"Not even going to ask. But how about getting me the hell OUT of here?!"  
  
"Would you like to be able to WALK when you get out?" Vegeta asked with a smirk. Bulma's opened mouth closed and she glared at him. "Then I suggest you let me do this."  
  
"I know I'm going to be sorry I asked, but do WHAT?"  
  
He ignored her and smirked at Byraem. "Let her go." He shook his head defiantly, still focusing on his stone. Vegeta shook his head and nonchalantly shot the now-glowing square out of the Protector's hands. "Let her go," he repeated. "Or I'll kill you."  
  
"You'll kill me anyway, Vegeta," Byraem said with a glare. "So why does it matter?"  
  
Vegeta shrugged and covered the few feet between them in two quick steps. Lifting Byraem up by his robe, he said simply. "It doesn't to me. But your death will either be quick or slow. THAT'S what might interest you."  
  
"Why are you even offering?" he snapped, wiggling to get out of Vegeta's strong grip.  
  
"Because my mate is here. And it's a great way to show how stubborn you bastards really are."  
  
"Like YOU'RE one to talk," Bulma muttered.  
  
He looked over at her. "That sure didn't hurt your mouth too much, did it?"  
  
"And I'm glad it didn't!"  
  
"Hey Vegeta!"  
  
The Saiyan looked up to see a man hovering above them, with a cloud of green smoke swirling about him, and a smirk on his moustached lips. He didn't have the usual pointy hat or blue robe, but Bulma knew immediately he was a wizard. And she had a sinking feeling... 


	11. Part 11

"Dugdrion. How nice of you to stop by," Vegeta said acidly. "I'm just going to kill him and I'll be right with you."  
  
"Drop him, Vegeta," the wizard ordered.  
  
"Oh, but I already HAVE," Vegeta said with a smirk. "Quite a distance, actually." But he did as he was told: he dropped Byraem. Right onto a ki ball. Vegeta dusted his hands off on each other and smirked up at Dugdrion. "Now what do you want?"  
  
Bulma found that she could move. "Jeez. I HATE this place, and I only just GOT here!"  
  
"Shut up, woman."  
  
"Well, sor~ry! I didn't ASK you to act like my knight in shining armor, but here you are anyway! I'm going to TRY and find the ship. MAYBE I can fix it." She turned and collided with something. She couldn't quite see it, but she could guess what it was. "Dammit! WHY do you people enjoy DOING this to me?"  
  
"What now, woman?" Vegeta snapped.  
  
"Well, Prince Lunkhead, your FRIEND has an invisible force field or something."  
  
Dugdrion looked surprised. "How did you know?"  
  
"Let's see. I can't go farther than this." She knocked on seemingly empty air, and it made a slight thumping sound. She smirked up at him and shook her head. "And I only MAKE the damn things!"  
  
Dugdrion suddenly vanished. He reappeared with Goku hanging onto him in a necklock and Krillin leaning on his back. "Howdy!" Krillin called down. "What are you guys doing?"  
  
Seeing that Dugdrion was about to unleash his next attack, Vegeta shot him, almost hitting Goku at the time. Goku dropped him out of surprise, then grabbed Krillin as he fell after the wizard.  
  
Vegeta stood over the fallen man and scowled. "Another time, Dugdrion." Then he yelled up to his traveling companions, "Come on! Get your asses moving!" With that, he scooped up Bulma -- much to her protest -- and flew off, leaving the wounded wizard to fend for himself.  
  
**============================================**  
  
"What the FUCK is your problem?" Bulma demanded once she got over the shock of being so high.  
  
"Just be grateful you didn't run into him FIRST, woman," Vegeta lectured. "That paralyzing spell by that idiot magician was the worst he could do."  
  
"WHAT is the BIG difference between a goddamn magician and a goddamn wizard, huh?"  
  
"A magician's magic is calmer and usually used either for hunting things or growing things. Survival. A wizard is destructive and has a lot more than what you just saw. That was actually only an apprentice you went up against, woman. They're very powerful and clever, even by Saiyan standards. They're the only ones in the universe that could possibly put up a match that lasts longer that five minutes."  
  
"So, the wizards are bad," Bulma paraphrased.  
  
"All magic-users are bad. They just happen to be the more dangerous of the three."  
  
"Not going to ask, don't want to know." Bulma turned her head and rolled her eyes at Goku, jerking her head to indicate Vegeta. "By the way..." She waited almost a full minute before sighing. "You know, by now a NORMAL person would have said 'What'." He only shrugged. "Fine. By the way you can put me DOWN. I want to WALK."  
  
"It's faster to fly, woman," Vegeta muttered. "You should know that by now."  
  
"It doesn't MATTER what SPEED we're going at, especially if we're going in the WRONG DIRECTION!"  
  
He looked at her then simply let her fall. Bulma calmly dug in the shallow pockets she'd made in the cloth for her capsules. And came up empty-handed.  
  
"THIS is bad. The Capsule Corp. president out without her capsules. If the press ever hears about this..."  
  
Vegeta caught her and smirked. "Ill be sure to find out who the press is and tell them."  
  
"Bastard," Bulma sulked. "Put me DOWN!" Vegeta dropped her again, but this time she immediately felt the dirt under her and the dust sweeping up to attack her face. "Thanks," she muttered sarcastically. "I think we're lost."  
  
"How can we be lost if we don't know where we're going?" Krillin piped up as he followed the bend in the path. "Great. Not only are we lost, we're screwed."  
  
Bulma saw what he meant immediately. There was no way to have known it was a ship unless you'd seen it BEFORE it was in countless pieces. Bulma slumped to her knees and groaned. She was too tired and shit out of luck to say anything more. Then she got up and scowled, beginning to walk back through the woods.  
  
"Hey, Bulma. Where ya going" Krillin called after her.  
  
Bulma turned and grinned. "To see if our friend has some Scotch tape."  
  
"Woman! Are you INSANE? This time I'm not going to save you!" Vegeta threatened.  
  
Bulma grinned over her shoulder at him. "Good. I don't want you around. Goku, will YOU come with me?" she asked in a voice that was so syrupy sweet they could have poured it over pancakes.  
  
"Sure. Why not?"  
  
"Because she's going to get herself killed," Vegeta growled in response to his rhetorical question. "Woman, you amaze me sometimes."  
  
"Thanks, Vegeta. I always knew you admired my genius," Bulma said as she batted her eyes.  
  
He snorted. "More like your stupidity. If you're supposed to be the smartest human on your planet then I'd hate to meet a dumb one."  
  
"You know, I remember going through this before," Bulma said, tapping a finger on her chin. "Yeah, we did. And you know what, oh Forgetful One? You HAVE! More than once!" She grabbed Goku by the sleeve and dragged him off with her.  
  
"Stupid woman," Vegeta grunted as he sat down and shook his head. He caught a glimpse of Krillin out of the corner of his eye and growled. "You're going too?"  
  
Krillin looked at him and nodded. "Yeah. SOMEONE'S gotta watch out for them."  
  
"Stay here, Cueball," Vegeta ordered.  
  
"Why the hell should I listen to you?" Krillin demanded. Vegeta calmly stood and Krillin retreated. "You know, I'm actually a little tired. I think I'll go lay down."  
  
"You do that." Vegeta turned and grinned as Bulma came marching out of the foliage, looking royally pissed off. "Back so soon," Vegeta taunted. "Where's the tape?"  
  
"You know damn well you UNDERGROWN asshole that we don't know where the damn village or whatever the hell it is is at," Bulma growled dangerously. "So get the hell out of my way before I hurt you. And by Kami, I will find a way!"  
  
Vegeta was unimpressed. "Why do you insist on going to them? You're not much of a favorite."  
  
"You're not the easiest guy to get along with either," she replied. "And do you have a better idea? Like Goku told you before this whole damn thing even STARTED, though I have many abilities, I am NOT a miracle worker! And THAT'S what it's gonna take to get us OFF this planet unless I persuade Dipstick and Shit-for-brains to help."  
  
"You can't fix the ship," he summarized.  
  
"Unless you have a welding machine, a REALLY good metal detector and a shitload of patience on you, I highly doubt it."  
  
"So, you're admitting that you can't do something," he said with a smirk.  
  
"I'm saying I don't have the proper materials," Bulma said sweetly. "But... I DO have THIS." She held up the scouter that she'd fixed and grinned. "New and improved! I don't know HOW you people got around with these cheap things."  
  
"That is used for ki," Vegeta told her calmly. "What makes you think it will trace magic?"  
  
"Well, one because I'M the one who upgraded it, and two because this points out the dragonballs, right?" At Vegeta's confused nod she continued. "And the magic feels a lot like the dragonballs. So all I have to do is set it to just that and I'll follow it."  
  
"You can program it to whatever you want to find?"  
  
Bulma grinned. "I told you it was a piece of shit before. Now, let's find our little friends and get them to tell us just HOW to get out of here."  
  
"Where's that idiot Kakorrot?'  
  
"Taking a private moment."  
  
"What the hell are you talking about woman?"  
  
"He has to do some certain biological functioning." Vegeta only looked at her. She heaved a sigh, rolled her eyes and yelled in his ear, "He had to take a shit!"  
  
Vegeta blinked at the harsh sound in his ear and shoved her away. Bulma bit her lip to hold in a whimper and held her hand, glaring at him. "That was all you had to say, woman."  
  
She only turned and walked away. Pausing before the entrance to the denser pack of trees, she said coldly without turning around, "I'll see you when I come back for Krillin, Vegeta." Then she disappeared.  
  
"Good job," Krillin told him sarcastically. "NOW we're separated again, only this time we know where they're going, but that doesn't help because we don't know where it is!"  
  
"Shut up, Cueball. I know where the Circle is staying." Vegeta lifted off the ground slowly and smirked. "Are you coming or not? I doubt that woman will come back for you if I'm there."  
  
"By the way, what the HELL is a CIRCLE?" Krillin demanded as he jumped up next to the Saiyan prince.  
  
"A round object," Vegeta muttered before looking at Krillin with a slightly amused glance.  
  
'Great. So NOW Prince Ego has a sense of humor,' Krillin thought with a mental sigh. "No shit, Sherlock. What's the OTHER definition."  
  
"Basically a group of magic-workers." The way Vegeta spoke, it seemed like it was an everyday thing to know.  
  
"Witches?"  
  
"Not here," Vegeta said in a disgusted voice. "They don't live on this planet. If they did the wizards wouldn't be as feared. Even the so-called white witches are more powerful than those ignorant little thieves."  
  
"Why are you telling me all this? I know I asked, but usually I have to pry and wheedle stuff out of you."  
  
Vegeta shrugged. "I don't know. It's a way to pass the time." Then he realized how human that sounded and barely suppressed a shudder.  
  
"Where are we headed?" Krillin asked after a pause.  
  
"To the Isolated Guild."  
  
"Guild?"  
  
"Are you stupid or something? A guild is the place where they assemble magic and test new spells and such."  
  
"Well exu~se me! I did NOT come here before, and as far as we know, there is NO magic on Earth!"  
  
Vegeta shook his head. "I don't know how your species even survives. You have no weapons, no desire to fight and no magic."  
  
"We have weapons, but they're BUILT. And they're to fight against the animals!"  
  
Vegeta snorted. "I've watched human battles while we were trying to locate Kakorrot. You don't count yourselves as animals do you? But you have to be the most barbaric of them all."  
  
"Is it just me or does that sound strange coming from a guy who kills for a living?"  
  
"The Saiyans did not kill one another unless by accident or son to father for the royal throne," Vegeta said regally. "We fought wars that we were assigned to, and those were off-planet."  
  
"But shouldn't you be a king then? I mean, your father IS dead."  
  
Vegeta scowled. "No. I will remain a prince forever since I did not kill him."  
  
"Weird people," Krillin drawled. "So, is this place out in the middle of nowhere or what?"  
  
"Contrary to its name, no. It's there." Vegeta stopped abruptly and looked down, away from himself slightly. "I don't see the woman or Kakorrot."  
  
"They're not flying and they don't know where it is," Krillin pointed out. "Give them some time." He growled but began to descend. Krillin paused a moment before following. "What's going on? I hear something in there."  
  
Vegeta listened and a small smile crept onto his face, but he banished it before Krillin could notice. "A festival. They're receiving a new member."  
  
"Does that mean they'll be in a better mood then they were earlier?" Krillin asked hopefully.  
  
"Yes. And the drinks will be on our side as well." He walked toward the wall, scratching at his neck and leaving Krillin to figure that remark out for himself.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma growled and pushed aside the huge fern-like things that were in her way and cursed the damned Namek ship for the umpteenth time. "At least this thing tells us we're close," she muttered. "Goku, can you fly us?"  
  
He grinned at her. "As long as you promise not to yell while we're up there."  
  
She glared at him. "That was a protest, but fine. I promise. Happy?"  
  
He grabbed her, one arm around her shoulders and the other tucked under her knees. "Going up!"  
  
Bulma tucked her face into his shirt and shook her head. Like calling the Eternal Dragon, she didn't think she'd ever get used to this.  
  
"Hey. Isn't that Vegeta and Krillin over there?" Goku asked as he hovered just above the treetops. Bulma could barely make out two figures in the distance. One had a very distinct haircut while she couldn't see hair at all on the other. And the vast height difference made her nod. "Should we go over to them?"  
  
"Hold on a sec," Bulma ordered as she pushed another button, one that could pick up both ki AND the mysterious power of the dragonballs. "They're right over it!" Then she looked up at Goku and nodded. "Let's go!"  
  
**============================================**  
  
Krillin looked up as Vegeta stopped, noticing a slight silverish tint right under his ear when the warrior's hand fell away. "Vegeta?"  
  
"What is it NOW, Cueball?" Vegeta asked gruffly as he paused in preparing to blast the door to tiny pieces.  
  
"There's something..." Krillin trailed off and rubbed at the same spot on his own neck.  
  
Vegeta's hand went to the itching spot and scowled. "What does it look like?"  
  
Krillin cautiously stepped forward and looked closer. "It's silver," he began, and he swore Vegeta stiffened. "It's kinda like a circle with a slash through it--"  
  
"Is the circle filled in?" Vegeta demanded quickly.  
  
"Kinda. It's like some little kid coloring it in and got called away. Why?"  
  
Vegeta didn't know whether to groan or smirk. 'So, I'm bonded. To that damn woman. And she's bonded to me, and now she's starting to realize it.' Vegeta's eyes flashed with a sudden idea. Krillin noticed the gleam in the usually icy black eyes and took a step back.  
  
"Come on, Cueball. We'll wait for the woman and Kakorrot inside." Now he allowed himself to smirk, and Krillin noticed the difference in body language. That was an extremely jovial look on the Saiyan's face. He could have sworn the creep was almost dancing with glee.  
  
Now nervous at what Vegeta was planning, he sighed and followed at a careful distance. "As soon as I get home..." he began, then spent the rest of the time filling in what he would do other than end up a nervous wreck.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Vegeta was practically grinning as he hid in the shadows. 'With the truth serum in that drink, there's no way she can deny that she's mine. And the best part of all is that she'll KNOW what she's doing and unable to do anything about it!'  
  
"Vegeta," Krillin hissed as he snuck into the room. "Where the hell are you?"  
  
Vegeta growled and grabbed Krillin by the collar and slapped and hand over his mouth. "Shut. Up!' he grunted and flung Krillin back against the wall. "They're almost done. THEN we can come out."  
  
"What the hell are they DOING?" Krillin wondered aloud as he watched the ceremony.  
  
"Making sure he has followed the right kind of magic and that he is actually not a wizard." Coal black eyes turned to the new man. "The kid. It's the KID!" The only one besides Kakorrot to defeat him in battle.  
  
**============================================**  
  
~~flashback~~  
  
_The kid jumped up at the sound of someone coming. They sounded distant, but they were closing in fast. He ran a gloved hand though his unruly hair and leapt up into the trees.  
  
"Prince Vegeta! Come here!" Nappa's deep bass growled, his eyes searching the almost lightless meadow. 'Damn! Why is it that I'M always the one stuck prince-sitting?!'  
  
"I'm here, Nappa," Vegeta muttered as he slid to the ground. "What did you want?"  
  
'To get rid of you once and for all,' the older man thought despite himself. "It's time for you to return to camp. There might be wizards out here."  
  
"It's nothing a prince can't handle," Vegeta argued in a superior tone.  
  
"My prince, you can't even defeat ME in battle, and the wizards have more than ki. While they are no match physically, they DO put up a good fight. You might even lose to an experienced fighter," Nappa protested calmly. They were here to train, not for him to kill off the little nuisance! As much as his temper proved otherwise.  
  
"I'll be fine," the ten-year-old said in a tone that clearly closed the argument. "I'll see you in the morning, Nappa."  
  
And so he had. The twenty-five-year-old warrior had saved his student from the spell of an apprentice that had his mind giftwrapped for torture. After watching Nappa dodge the attacks from both the boy and the others that had come, he was astounded.  
  
Sitting atop his newly made throne of dead bodies, Vegeta looked down at Nappa. "How did you do that?"  
  
The older Saiyan looked up. "Do what?"  
  
The prince hopped down and shook his hair out of his eyes. "THAT!" he said, flinging his arm out to indicate the pile of magic users. The cold black eyes shone. "I want to learn how to do that. How to be so fast and agile, how to kill so many and not be tired afterwards. I want to raise my power level. I want to be the strongest, and the best!"  
  
Nappa smiled to himself. At last his charge was willing to learn. That was a start. And Vegeta DID learn. He was dedicated and worked harder than any thought possible. And the reason for that was because of one measly little kid who had gotten him backed into a corner with a baby spell._  
  
~~end flashback~~  
  
Vegeta smirked at the brief memory. He should actually THANK the kid. And now, some 30 years later he was going to. HIS way of course.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma panted as she tried to control her anger. 'Why did that LITTLE shit follow us?!"  
  
She didn't realize she'd spoken out loud until Goku replied, "Well, he didn't follow us since he's AHEAD."  
  
"Goku?" He looked at her and nodded to say he was listening. "Shut up."  
  
"But Bulma--"  
  
"Goku!" She put a finger to her lips and glared at him. He looked sheepish and directed his gaze downwards. She nodded in satisfaction and led the way. She was either going to kill the arrogant Saiyan bastard or die trying.  
  
**============================================**  
  
"All right! WHERE are you?" she demanded as she shut the scouter off and charged into the cabin-like building. She instantly had a hand clamped over her mouth and was roughly dragged aside.  
  
"Woman, don't come in here and yell," Vegeta hissed. "Even KAKORROT can't beat them ALL!"  
  
She jerked her head away and glared at him. "Do I look like I care? I hope not because I don't!" She started to get up and was shoved back down again.  
  
"Wait another minute or so. Then we can get practically ANYTHING from them," the prince advised as he watched the leaders. "As soon as those three take a drink."  
  
"What the hell is it? Punch?"  
  
"Mostly," he answered quietly with a smirk. "But that drink is our ticket to Earth."  
  
The two finishing the ceremony also finished the goblet of what looked like fruit punch. If Vegeta's face could stretch that wide, he would have been grinning. He managed a wide -- for him -- smile and carefully crept out of their hiding place.  
  
He worked his way up to Roshon and tapped him on the shoulder. The 15-year-old turned to see the warrior. Despite himself he smiled. "Hello. What are YOU doing here?"  
  
Vegeta nodded back and leaned on the table, picking at a piece of fruit. "I'm here for a deal."  
  
Roshon looked interested, as Vegeta knew he would. These magicians were always looking for new ways to trade and bet. A deal was just another version of trading. "Continue."  
  
"It's very simple. My..." He looked back and shook his head. "My companions and I need transportation."  
  
"What do you have to trade?" Roshon asked eagerly, the truth serum already working in his system.  
  
"Well, a little bit of information about your friend here" -- Vegeta jabbed a thumb at the new member of the Circle -- "AND your lives." He picked the teenaged leader up and smiled his I'm-going-to-kill-you smirk.  
  
"And if I refuse?" Roshon asked carelessly.  
  
"There won't be a Winding Circle guild anymore," Vegeta replied simply. "Do we have a deal?" Roshon looked like he was thinking about it. Vegeta knew that words to a magic user were binding. "Well...?" the Saiyan prompted menacingly.  
  
Roshon grimaced then nodded once. A sudden gold thread of light came from the floor and encircled the boy. A gold link bracelet clamped onto Roshon's wrist, and another on Vegeta's. He dropped the leader and looked at the links.  
  
"You have three days," Vegeta ordered, then turned to the others with a satisfied look on his face. Goku was the only one who could HEAR the conversation, so the others were confused. Actually, Bulma was angry.  
  
"Well, Mr. Pathetic Salesman? WHY aren't we on Earth yet?!" Bulma demanded as she attempted to stamp on his foot.  
  
"Woman, calm down!" he ordered, trying to glare her down. When that didn't work he offered her the drink he'd pulled off the table, unnoticed. As she warily accepted it, he looked up at her slightly. "If you could HEAR you'd know that they're not able to do ANYTHING right now. Their magic is nullified until tomorrow. They only have three days anyway."  
  
Bulma wasn't listening. "This is pretty good. What is it?"  
  
Vegeta sniffed at it. "Their passion fruit, I think." He took another whiff and nodded decisively. "Yes. Passion fruit and the truth serum."  
  
"What does that do?" she asked as she took another sip, feeling a faint throbbing in her head and felt like cotton was stuck in her ears.  
  
"Well, basically you'll have the urge to talk your mouth off, and you can't lie," Vegeta summarized as he watched her get used to the effects. "And you'll have one hell of a pleasant buzz."  
  
"As if she doesn't talk enough already," Krillin muttered to himself.  
  
Bulma dropped her cup as she fell to her knees and clapped her hands over the back of her head. "Vegeta, you bastard! What the hell did you DO to me?"  
  
He looked down at her as Krillin and Goku tried to get her supported. "What the hell's going on?"  
  
"She's HUMAN, moron." Krillin didn't look up as he slung one of Bulma's limp arms around his neck. "It doesn't have the same effect! What does it do to a Saiyan?"  
  
"Nothing," he answered, looking his "mate" over. "We're immune to all drugs such as those."  
  
"So that's why Goku could never use Tylenol," Bulma's slurred voice said as she sat up a little. "Vegeta, this is SHIT! What the HELL is it supposed to do again?"  
  
"Great. She's stinking drunk!" Krillin yelped as Bulma's arm swung wildly to get up.  
  
"I am not!" Bulma protested as she finally got to her feet, then promptly fell into Vegeta. She looked up at him and smiled. "Did you know I love your eyes?"  
  
He smirked. "No, woman, I did not." He thought to himself, 'And I bet you didn't either until now.'  
  
"Well, I do. And..."  
  
Krillin rubber his temples. "This is going to be a LONG three days."  
  
**============================================**  
  
Krillin glared at the newly formed couple, then turned away and snorted in disgust. Despite all the blabbing last night and the denial this morning, it was still beyond him why Bulma liked the impossible bastard. He sat down and stared at the magicians hurrying to prepare to send them to Earth.  
  
"Hey, Krillin," Goku mumbled as he plopped down beside his friend. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Attempting to figure out what the hell both of them are thinking," Krillin muttered as he shot another murderous glance at the "happy couple," which happened to be feuding again.  
  
"Woman, don't you EVER shut UP?"  
  
"No! And if you're going to live with me, there's some things you need to know. I have a NAME, moron, and I expect you to use it! And DON'T expect me to--"  
  
"Woman, SHUT UP!"  
  
"Didn't we JUST go through this? I just SAID that--"  
  
"Woman!! I'm TRYING to say something!"  
  
"WHAT?" she finally yelled at him.  
  
"When we get back to Earth, remind me to marry you."  
  
Bulma's mouth clamped shut with an audible click. Then it dropped back open again, jaw working but nothing coming out. When she finally remembered where she put her voicebox, she said, "You know, Prince EGO, MOST people would ASK to get married." She crossed her arms and glared at him.  
  
"You WILL marry me, woman," Vegeta said calmly, smirking at her.  
  
"What makes you so sure?" She saw him open his mouth to quote her from last evening and blushed, scowling at him. "Don't say a word," she warned.  
  
The smirk grew deeper. "Really, woman, why not? I'm SURE that you would like to hear EXACTLY why..."  
  
"Dammit, I've SAID WHY!" she yelled back. "And WHAT did I JUST tell you about CALLING me that?"  
  
"I don't know, WOMAN. I wasn't listening," he answered, taking a certain amount of amusement in her anger.  
  
"Like hell you didn't. Otherwise you wouldn't try to get on my nerves!" she accused.  
  
"From the way you're ranting, anyone could guess," he replied simply. "And it doesn't take much to get on your nerves, woman."  
  
"The FIRST thing I do when I get home is to teach you some damn VOCABULARY."  
  
"THEN you will marry me," he insisted. "That's what you were trying to tell me last night, isn't it?"  
  
"What if I say no?"  
  
He looked interested. "Now WHY would you NOT want to, woman?" he asked, cocking his head thoughtfully.  
  
"Well, let's see...."  
  
Goku grinned as he sat by Krillin and leaned back against the wall. 'We're going home,' he thought as a contented grin slid across his face. 'I get to see Chi Chi again.' His smile almost faded, but it was the thought of his wife rather than her anger that kept it there.  
  
Krillin didn't look nearly as happy. He laid his hands on his knees and sighed, looking up. "Krillin? What's wrong?" Goku asked as he sat up.  
  
The shorter man looked over at his best friend. "Nothing much Goku. For some reason going home doesn't sound so great, you know? I don't really have anyone to go back TO, and after this I bet it's gonna be boring." He grinned and shook his head. "It's really something. All this time I was homesick, and now that I get the chance, I almost don't want to go."  
  
Goku tapped his ribs as Bulma and Vegeta came in, both scowling. "Woman, I swear--" He cut himself off when she didn't. "What the hell is wrong with you?"  
  
Goku could could see that Bulma was off in her own little world and shook his head at Vegeta. For some reason he saw them as a better match than Bulma and Yamcha. Yes, the egotistical maniac and the controlling bitch themselves.  
  
Roshon pulled at his sleeves and glared at Vegeta. Or, more appropriately, at the gold band on the warrior's wrist. "Are you ready?" he snapped.  
  
Vegeta gave a raised eyebrow in reply and smirked at Bulma. "Woman, we're leaving. Get your ass in gear."  
  
She smiled sweetly at him. "I see you've been picking up Earth expressions after all."  
  
He glared at her and shook his head. "Get going."  
  
"Yes, oh highest bastard of them all," she said as she walked away, waving a hand to show she'd heard. "So, when are we leaving?"  
  
Roshon looked uncomfortable. "Well, you see... even OUR magic couldn't fix your ship so..."  
  
"So we're screwed," Bulma finished. "Perfect." She turned back to Vegeta and scowled. "YOU said they HAD to get us OUT of here!"  
  
He took the hand that was raised to hit him and smirked, amused. "They DO. I didn't say HOW, but they do. Now shut up woman and let the man talk."  
  
"Man?! I'm TWICE as old as he is!" Bulma protested.  
  
"If he wasn't already a man, then he wouldn't be leading the damned Circle," Vegeta pointed out. "Or did you ignore THAT part of what I told you as well?"  
  
"I think you can guess," she muttered, ripping her arm away. "And how do I know they're not going to screw me over or something?"  
  
"They work with words for a living, idiot. Their words are binding. Why the hell else would they hesitate before agreeing to the deal?"  
  
"Because they don't trust you," she said plainly. "And with damn good reason."  
  
"Touché," Krillin muttered as he stood and wiped his hands on his pants. He turned to Roshon and smiled. "So, how ARE we getting to Earth?"  
  
"I will send you myself," he promised. Making himself a little louder to be heard over Bulma and Vegeta, he yelled, "Just think where you want to be."  
  
"Too bad I forgot my ruby slippers," Bulma muttered sarcastically. Then she crossed her fingers and squeezed her eyes shut, chanting, "My room, my room, my room."  
  
Vegeta shook his head and smirked as Goku was saying, "With Krillin, with Krillin." Which would put him on Bulma's front lawn. Vegeta reached for Bulma and barely touched her arm as the magic sent them spiralling into blackness.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Bulma shook her head, dazed as she stood up, her back pressed against the wall. She shook her head and felt something very familiar against her back. The light switch. But she didn't need to turn it on to know she was back in her room. In the instant that she realized that she attacked her dresser in search of actual CLOTHES.  
  
**============================================**  
  
Vegeta scowled as he landed in front of a door. Large, sturdy and wooden, it was practically BEGGING to be broken through. Which he did as soon as he could move without the world swirling.  
  
A Vegeta-shaped hole in the door -- complete with bad haircut and crossed-arm impression -- appeared as Bulma was pulling on her sweatpants. The prince stared at her, gaping. "What the hell have you done to yourself?" he demanded, looking her over.  
  
Bulma grinned, letting her blue hair fall in her face as she bent down to put on her sneakers. "I put on CLOTHES. DECENT CLOTHES."  
  
"You WERE decent," he growled. "You are WAY too overdresssed!"  
  
"No Vegeta. THIS is decent! This is HUMAN decency! Saiyans need to learn what decency IS!"  
  
Vegeta shook his head and scowled. "Woman, you're making me uncomfortable."  
  
"Good!" She flung other clothes at him and smiled, putting her hands on her hips. "You deserve it after all this shit you put me through! Now, I have to make a phone call. Bye!"  
  
He crossed his arms. "You still have to marry me, woman." Then he cringed. "I hate that Earth saying. You will become my mate."  
  
"Excuse me, but do you KNOW how long it takes to PLAN a wedding?" Apparently he didn't because he looked unimpressed by the complaint. "At LEAST -- the very LEAST -- two months!"  
  
Vegeta scowled. "I don't feel like waiting that long, woman," he growled, advancing on her. "Now."  
  
He backed up when she screamed for Goku. It only took a minute for Goku to crash through the window and place himself by Bulma's side.  
  
"What Bulma?" he asked as she backed away more.  
  
"Get him out! As in on the OTHER side of the door. And KEEP him there. I'm calling Chi Chi."  
  
Goku paled at that, taking Vegeta's arm without protest and dragging him away. Vegeta was too surprised to comment until they were too far away for him to find his way back. "Kakorrot, what the HELL is your problem?"  
  
"Chi Chi," he uttered meekly. "She'll kill me."  
  
Vegeta snorted. "The most powerful man in the universe is afraid of a woman," he growled in disgust.  
  
"If you grew up with her, you would too," Goku protested.  
  
Vegeta broke loose and shot a death glare at the younger Saiyan. "If *I* grew up with her she wouldn't be alive to be afraid of!" he shot back. "In fact, this whole damn planet would be GONE, just like it was SUPPOSED to be!" He jabbed a finger at Goku accusingly. "Just because YOU'RE just like one of those weakling HUMANS, don't EVER expect ME to be!"  
  
Goku smiled at him. "Feelings aren't a weakness, Vegeta. If they were, I wouldn't be here, would I?"  
  
Vegeta fumed at the unspoken words. He wouldn't be a Super Saiyan was what he was saying. He turned to leave but realized he didn't know where he was going. "Where the hell ARE we Kakorrot?"  
  
Goku grinned and said, "On Earth."  
  
"I know THAT, dipshit. WHERE on Earth?"  
  
Goku looked around. "In a forest."  
  
Vegeta actually felt like saying "duh" but squashed that feeling by hitting Goku in the center of his chest. "Now, Kakorrot. WHERE are we?"  
  
He looked around again and cocked his head like he was listening to something. "Near my house, actually."  
  
"How the hell did we get there?" Vegeta asked, knowing from other conversations that Goku's house from pretty far from Bulma's.  
  
"Vegeta, we just flew." A rumbling sound happened and Goku looked sheepish. "Come on. Dinner time!"  
  
With nowhere else to go and nothing else to do, Vegeta followed with a shrug. He would get to the woman later. 

==========================

And he did indeed, for six months later they were married… much to his protest.

Bulma grinned as she met up with Chi Chi and Goku three weeks after her honeymoon. Vegeta hadn't wanted one, saying it was a waste of time. Bulma smiled to herself at the look on his face as she explained EXACTLY what happened on a honeymoon. She waved to her friends, running to catch up to them and not noticing her husband behind her.  
  
"Hey Bulma!" Chi Chi said as she hugged her friend enthusiastically. Bulma grinned and drew back, catching Goku by the ear and yanking him over to place a kiss on his cheek.  
  
"Hey," he muttered as he hugged her back carefully, then gripped her arms and sniffed carefully. "Bulma, you smell funny..."  
  
"Well, gee thanks, Goku. Just what I needed to boost my self-esteem."  
  
"No, like Chi Chi." He looked confused as he sniffed again, then looked over to his wife. "She had this smell before too..." Bulma was starting to get an idea of what he was talking about. Vegeta had commented on her scent earlier that morning. She'd been surprised he could smell anything over that disaster he called breakfast. "Like when... she... had... Gohan..."  
  
"Um, Goku?" Bulma twisted and smiled up at him. "I can't feel my arms."  
  
Goku released her just as Vegeta spoke up. "Kakorrot, let go of her!"  
  
Bulma turned to glare at him, but the look morphed into a slightly gleeful smile. Turning her attention to her friend, she grinned and threw an arm around her. "Congratulations, Chi Chi. You're pregnant."  
  
"I'm WHAT?" she asked, astonished. "How?"  
  
"Well, you see, it's kinda like how you had Gohan..." Bulma began teasingly, getting a death glare in reply. She smiled and let Chi Chi go to talk to Vegeta.  
  
"Woman, you mean neither of you knew?"  
  
"And you did?" She scowled, then laughed. "Why am I not surprised. Do you know what it is or is that still a mystery to Prince Daddy?"  
  
"It's a half-breed," he said with a certain amount of disgust in his voice.  
  
"Um, DUH! I meant a girl or a boy?"  
  
"I don't know. Why are you asking me?"  
  
"NOW you're starting to sound like Goku." She rolled her eyes. "Say, how long am I going to be carrying thing thing?"  
  
Vegeta mumbled, but she did catch the word "years." She gasped, about to fly off the handle when Vegeta interrupted. "Before you start woman, Saiyan years are much shorter than Earth years."  
  
"So how long?"  
  
"About eight years and two months," he replied. "In Earth years about eighteen months."  
  
"This kid is going to be IN my stomach for a year and a HALF?!"  
  
Vegeta smirked at her. "Looks like it, woman."  
  
Bulma was about to complain to Chi Chi when she realized the two were already gone. 'Cowards,' she thought to herself. "Vegeta, this is half your fault!"  
  
He opened his mouth to say something, then seemed to really listen to what she said and almost smiled. "Only half? How do you figure that?"  
  
Bulma was about to turn it into a short joke but decided not to. "Because YOU'RE the weird half!"  
  
"Woman, I'm getting hungry and running out of patience. I'll meet you and the brat back in the kitchen." With that he turned and left, leaving Bulma with only her capsules and the tiny group of cells floating around in there for company.   
  
She looked at his retreating figure and laughed at what his response would be at human pregnancy. Especially at the food part of it... Not that a PRINCE would be bothered by going out at all hours of the night.  
  
Bulma grinned and looked down at her stomach. "Hey, if you're in there, I want you to know something. Your father's a bastard, but I think I'm starting to like him." 


End file.
